Author: Purushottam Nitai Das

Can we become God as per Vedas?

Let us see what the oldest scriptures of the world, the Vedas, say about our chances of becoming God.

Many spiritual teachers and Vedic scholars say that there is a possibility of you and I becoming God. Now we conditioned souls do have a desire to become God. But merely having a desire is not sufficient.

We also have to see the possibility of it getting fulfilled. So, let us see our chances of becoming God and most importantly let us see what the Vedas say about it.

Did anyone succeed in becoming God in past?

If we turn the pages of history, we find that no mortals have ever succeeded in becoming God. And the devotees of God never ever desired or tried to become God. They always remained happy serving God.

For example, Hanuman, a great devotee of Lord Rama loves to call himself a servant of Lord Rama. He never desired to become Lord Rama.

Similarly, in Vrindavan, Gopis never tried to become Krishna. They just loved serving Krishna. Seeing the love and dedication of the Gopis for Krishna, Uddhava, another great devotee of Krishna wanted to become a grass in Vrindavan so that he gets an opportunity to touch the lotus feet of gopis.

Vedic scriptures clearly delineate who is God and says that all the living beings should try their best to become a sincere and pure devotee of God.  Vedas do not say that we can become God. Vedas do not give any example of living entities becoming God.

Fate of those who tried to become God

In fact, the thought that we can become God itself is very dangerous. Those who had this desire had to suffer terribly. Ravana and Hiranyakasipu thought that they can become God by defeating God but ultimately got defeated.

Great conquerors want to get feeling of God by conquering vast tracts of land on earth. But all these great conquerors be it Alexander or Napoleon or any other ultimately was conquered by death.

God’s special qualities

God is eternally God and you and me are eternally His parts and parcels, his servitors. Scriptures do say that if we practice devotion to God and become pure then qualitatively, we become like God but still quantitatively there is an ocean of difference.

Just like a drop of the ocean has same chemical composition as that of the ocean but there is vast difference between the ocean and the drop of the ocean. We are like the drop of the ocean and God is like the ocean.

Parāśara Muni’s definition of God

Scriptures also explain about the special qualities of God which no one can possess. Parāśara Muni, a great sage and father of Vyasadeva, gives the definition of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ bhagam itīṅganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

He says that “Bhagavān means who possesses these six opulences in full: all riches, all strength, all influence, all wisdom, all beauty, all renunciation.” Other than Lord Sri Krishna and his plenary expansions, no one possesses any of these six opulences in full. So, Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Yes, you and I can also have these opulences but in minute quantities. For example, God is rich because he is the proprietor of entire creation. We may also be rich but not rich like God. Even the richest person of this world, for example Bill Gates, do not own all the wealth of the world.

Krishna’s beauty is eternal, and it attracts all. He always has a youthful body; he never grows old. Have you seen any picture of Krishna where he is having wrinkles on his face? No. But you and I grow old and whatever beauty we may be having deteriorates in due course of time.

Scriptures also explain that Krishna, the Supreme Lord, has 64 qualities and the living entities like you and me can have maximum 78% of these qualities. So, how can we say that we are God or in future we can become God?

Have we forgotten that we are God?

Some say that we were once God but somehow after coming to this world, we forgot that we are God because of the influence of maya. According to them by engaging in certain spiritual activities we will regain our lost memory and will become God.

The argument itself is ridiculous. If we were once God and we forgot about it, then how can we say that we are God. God never forgets, he does not have memory loss like conditioned souls. If God is subjected to forgetfulness or Maya, Illusion, then Maya would be more powerful than God. Then what would be the meaning of the word God?

We the living entities are not God, so we are influenced by maya, God’s illusory energy in this world. Under the influence of maya, we forget that we are eternal servants of God.

Why Krishna is God?

We do not find anywhere in the scriptures that God ever tried to become God. For example, when Krishna appeared in this world then he appeared first in a four – handed Visnu form.

Krishna did not do any meditation or anything else to become God.

He was God from the day he appeared in this material world to perform various pastimes, lila. Krishna killed Putana when He was just few days old. He lifted the Govardhan hill when He was just a seven years old. 

In the battlefield of Kurushetra he displayed his Vishvarupa (Universal Form) to Arjuna and performed several other incredible pastimes which no one ever has performed.

Can we do these extraordinary things? We don’t have control even on our bodies then how can we ever think of becoming the controller of the universe. If we have toothache, we cry in pain and take shelter of a painkiller.

So, we have to understand and accept that we are not God & we can never become God.

Krishna explains who we are

In Bhagavad Gita Krishna explains who we are.

dvav imau purusau loke ksaras caksaras eva ca

ksarah sarvani bhutani kutastho ksara ucyate

“There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world every entity is called infallible (Bhagavad Gita 15.16).”

Here Krishna is clearly saying that all the living beings living in this world are fallible i.e. come under the influence of maya. But the living beings in the spiritual world are infallible because they are pure devotees of the Lord.

Krishna further says:

uttamah purusas tv anyah paramatmety udahrtah

yo loka trayam avisya bibharty avyaya ishvarah

“Besides these two there is the greatest living personality, the Lord Himself, who has entered into these worlds and is maintaining them” (Bhagavad Gita 15.17)

Here Krishna is distinguishing between the living entities and the Supreme Lord. He says that living entities are innumerable – some are conditioned, and some are liberated as discussed above but none are God.

Krishna further says that besides these two living entities there is the Supreme Lord, whom he describes as the greatest living personality. That supreme Lord as paramatma pervades the universe to maintain it.

Conclusion

Thus, we can clearly infer that living entities whether in conditioned state or liberated state are not God but are always subordinate to God. Vedas clearly explain logically and also through various examples that we can never become God. In fact, as per Vedic scriptures, we should not even think of becoming God.

God is the creator, maintainer and destroyer of this universe. You and I struggle to maintain ourselves then how can we maintain the universe.

So, if someone comes and say that they can make us God then we should look into his eyes, smile a lit bit, pat on his back and with compassion say to him – My dear friend you are not God, you can never become God and you will never be successful in making me God.

But instead, let us try our best to become a devotee of God.

How Śravaṇam helps us in our Krishna Conscious journey?

Śravaṇam means hearing and it plays a very important role in our Krishna Conscious journey. In fact, in our material life too śravaṇam plays a significant role. For example, in our schools and colleges we learnt by hearing the subjects from our teachers.

I remember, teachers asking us to hear attentively to understand the subjects thoroughly they were teaching. And in case of doubts, we raised our hands, and the teachers answered our queries.

In spiritual life too, it is through śravaṇam that we begin understanding the absolute truth. We came to know about Krishna or Rama by first hearing from our parents. And later when we met devotees of Iskcon, we heard from them in detail about Rama and Krishna. This helped us understand the necessity and urgency of practicing Krishna Consciousness. 

Now if we look through the history of mankind, we will see that all the great devotees of Lord perfected their lives by hearing the transcendental message.  In the nava vida bhakti, the first process is śravaṇam (hearing).

Now let us see how śravaṇam played an important role in the life of great devotees of the Lord.

Arjuna attentively hears from Krishna and understands the purpose of life

At the battle of Kurukshetra, when Arjuna saw that he will be fighting against his own family members, he got bewildered or we can say that he had emotional breakdown. He was so disturbed that he wanted to run away from the battlefield and retire to the forest.

It was not that Arjuna was a coward. Just before Kurukshetra war he had single-handedly almost defeated the entire Kaurava army which had warriors like Bhisma, Drona, Karna and Duryodhana. 

But Arjuna was fortunate that Krishna was there with him as his charioteer at the battlefield of Kurukshetra. In that difficult situation, he approaches Krishna for guidance. And Krishna begins giving him the great knowledge of Bhagavad Gita which completely transforms Arjuna.

In fact, the Supreme Lord Krishna says to Arjuna that if he wants to know him and understand him completely then he should try to hear (śṛṇu) what he is saying.

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Pṛthā, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.” Bhagavad Gita 7.1

And towards the end of his discourse, Krishna asks Arjuna if he heard his message attentively or not? Are all his doubts cleared or not?

“O son of Pṛthā, O conqueror of wealth, have you heard this with an attentive mind? And are your ignorance and illusions now dispelled?” Bhagavad Gita 18.72

Arjuna’s all doubts cleared

Arjuna had heard with complete absorption; all his questions were answered. He now knew who he is and what should be the purpose of his life.

“Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.” Bhagavad Gita 18.73

Mahārāja Parīkṣit perfected his life by hearing about the Lord for seven continuous days

Mahārāja Parīkṣit was cursed to die in seven days by a brahmana boy named, śṛṅgi. Knowing that he has only seven days to live, King Parīkṣit, immediately renounced everything material which is the cause of great bondage.

He gave up the charge of his kingdom to his son, Janamejaya, renounced his family, left the comforts of the palace and came to the bank of the Ganges.

At the bank of the Ganges, he sat down on a seat of straw facing north. He even gave up food and water. Controlling his mind and senses, he decided to fix his mind completely on the lotus feet of Lord Krishna till the time of his imminent death.  

Hearing that the great king is about to leave his body in the most auspicious way and return back to the kingdom of God, great sages and demigods assembled there. There also came the great transcendentalist Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyasdeva.

Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s query to Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī

Seeing Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the self-realized sage, Mahārāja Parīkṣit humbly asked him what is the best way by which he can leave his material body.  The great king wanted to know what should a person who is on the verge of death should do.

King Parikshit asked, “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

Death is not the end of everything. As we are living now, after death again we are going to live but in a different body. So, it is important to know how to die so that after death when we again begin to live, we live happily.

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī about śravaṇam

Answering the king, the revered sage said that those who want to free themselves from all material miseries and desire should first hear about the Supreme Lord at the time of death. After hearing sufficiently about the Lord one should then continuously glorify the Lord and remember him.

“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.” Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.5

So, here too, we see that Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī underlines the importance of hearing. In that transcendental assembly, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrated Srimad Bhagavatam to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The king heard the transcendental subject matter very attentively and when he had any doubt he also inquired submissively. 

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī was the most qualified speaker in the assembly of great sages and Mahārāja Parīkṣit who had voluntarily abandoned all material attachments was the most qualified listener.  

Mahārāja Parīkṣit perfected his life by hearing about the Lord for seven continuous days. And after leaving his body he went back to the spiritual world.

Narada Muni purified and perfected his life by hearing about the absolute truth from the Bhakti Vedantist

Great sage Narada in his previous life was son of a maidservant. And before taking birth from the womb of a maidservant, he was a Gandharva living in heavenly planet. But unfortunately, he misused his position as a Gandharva, so he was cursed to become the son of a maidservant.

But to his great fortune he got an opportunity to associate with pure devotees (bhakti-vedāntas) of Krishna for four months of the rainy season.  The great Vedāntists were very merciful to him. He once took the remnants of their food after taking their, this completely burnt all his sins.

And for four months, he heard from them attractive pastimes of Krishna. By hearing from these great devotees, he developed taste for hearing (śravaṇam) about the Supreme Lord Krishna. 

Spiritual Journey of Narada

Sage Narada personally narrates his spiritual journey to his disciple, Vyāsadeva, “O Vyāsadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedāntists, I could hear them describe the attractive activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead increased at every step.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.26

Sage Narada further describes how the great devotees were always absorbed in chanting the glories of Lord Hari. And he had the opportunity to constantly hear from them which helped him to rise above the lower modes of passion and ignorance.

“Thus during two seasons — the rainy season and autumn — I had the opportunity to hear these great-souled sages constantly chant the unadulterated glories of the Lord Hari. As the flow of my devotional service began, the coverings of the modes of passion and ignorance vanished.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.28

Although he was cursed to live as son of maidservant but by the association of pure devotees of Krishna, he nullified all his sins and perfected his life. In the next life he was born as the son of Brahma and came to be known as Narada.

Srila Prabhupada redefined the goal of his life after hearing from his guru

Srila Prabhupada wanted to do something good for India. Before meeting his guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, like most other Indians during 1920s, he was thinking to serve the nation by participating in political movement.

But after meeting his guru and hearing from him, he understood that reviving the spiritual culture and sharing the glorious spiritual message of India is the best way to serve Mother India.

And we all know how Srila Prabhupada has played a pivotal role in spreading Krishna Consciousness or Hare Krishna movement all over the world.

Srila Prabhupada has many times highlighted the importance of hearing (śravaṇam). In one of his initiation lectures, he says, “The most important item is śravaṇam, or hearing. If you do not do anything else, if you simply sincerely hear about God, then gradually you will be God conscious.”

By his own example, he has shown us that how hearing is important.

Once in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada had to make a choice between visiting the temples in Vrindavan or hearing from his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. He chose to hear from his guru because he thought that the best way to see Vrindavana is by hearing its glories from Krishna’s pure devotee.

Śrīla Prabhupāda says, “…..Keśava Mahārāja was informing that Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta is going to Mathurā tomorrow morning and he will speak hari-kathā this evening. Anyone who wants to may remain. Or otherwise they may go to see Śeṣaśāyī Viṣṇu. So at that time I think only ten or twelve men remained – Śrīdhara Mahārāja was one of them. And I thought it wise, What can I see at this Śeṣaśāyī? Let me hear what Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī will speak. Let me hear.”

Hippies heard directly from Srila Prabhupada and became happies

When Srila Prabhupada went to west in 1965 to preach the message of Krishna and Lord Chaitanya, he did not have any proper facility to preach. He did not have any monetary support or organizational background.

He would go to the park and do kirtan.  Just by hearing the holy name many young American boys and girls got attracted to Krishna. Later these young Americans would come to Srila Prabhupada and hear from him.

As they began hearing they developed taste for Krishna Consciousness and distaste for abominable activities like meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex which is against Krishna Consciousness.

They redefined the purpose of their life and understood the importance of practicing devotion to Krishna. And within few years thousands of people all over the world became serious in Krishna Consciousness and began chanting the names of Krishna and worshipping Krishna.

This all started just by hearing (śravaṇam).

Conclusion

So, we see that how hearing (śravaṇam) transforms a person’s life by helping him to develop taste for Krishna Consciousness.  

What happens when we hear or do śravaṇam from scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam only, “Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.7

What we hear decides our future. We know the GIGO principle – Garbage In Garbage Out or Good In Good Out. It is important that we give good input to our mind. If we are hearing materialistic talks, mundane gossips, movie songs then we will always be absorbed in mundane activities.

But if we do śravaṇam i.e hear pastimes of Krishna, devotional songs and most of the time discuss about Krishna with others then we will develop taste for Krishna Consciousness and will attain Krishna. 

Choice is ours!

How to save ourselves from the blazing fire of material existence?

The sufferings we go through in this world is compared to blazing fire of material existence. Why? Because just as a person bunt by fire always reels in pain, similarly in this world everyone constantly go through physical or mental pain.

We might have heard about devastating forest fire. In forest, fire occurs automatically. It is difficult to figure out how fire started. But soon it engulfs the entire forest devouring flora and fauna.

Similarly in this material world, we find ourselves in the midst of insurmountable trouble. And those sufferings come on its own. Why it happened and how it happened, we fail to figure out.

Problems come out of the blue

Sometimes our life will be going on smoothly and we may feel that everything is in control but suddenly there is turmoil in our life.  We may face severe financial crisis or health issues. Sometimes there might be marital dispute.

We may think that we are doing our marital duty in best possible way. And in fact, we may also be doing our best but still our partner will be dissatisfied with us. Nothing can please him or please her. We are emotionally torn apart.

We find ourselves utterly helpless.  All our plans go haywire. All our hopes of enjoyment are dashed. We cry in pain, but no one is there to wipe our tears.

People may be indifferent to our suffering, or some may even blame us for our situation. And who knows some may even enjoy seeing us suffering.

This is why the holy scriptures again and again say that it is utterly foolish to look for pleasure in this world. Everyone is suffering in this blazing fire of material existence. Searching for pleasure in this world is like looking for fresh cool water in a desert. 

Attitude during difficulties

So, in this difficult situation what should we do?  Should we continue suffering? Or should we do something to alleviate our suffering?

The choices we make in our life determines our destiny. So, if we make right choice during that difficult phase of our life then we will be able to overcome the difficult situation.

One of the best ways to figure out what choices to make is by reading the life story of great devotees of Lord. Just like a beacon light guides a ship in turbulent ocean, similarly life of saintly personalities guides us when we are struggling in the ocean of material existence.

I get very much inspiration from the life of Srila Prabhupada. If we read his life, we will see the difficulties he went through and most importantly his attitude during the difficult phase of his life.

Lesser mortals like us get torn apart during adverse situations and circumstances. In fact, during that difficult phase of life if we commit any blunder then our suffering will perpetuate and become more severe.

But great saintly personalities like Prabhupada knows what to do and what not to do if they are in unpleasant situations.

It could be possible that he may be criticized by all his near and dear ones for his actions, but he goes by the scripture. And the Lord seeing his determination and conviction eventually removes all inauspicious things from his life and bestows his choicest mercy upon him.

Srila Prabhupada’s life’s challenges

Srila Prabhupada’s life was not smooth. He got married to a woman with whom he did not get along nicely. Or we can also say that he married a woman who did not have much respect for his feelings. Once, he wanted to remarry but his father cautioned him against remarriage.

As a householder, he did his duties diligently. He never neglected any responsibility. He established a successful pharmaceutical business and took care of his wife and children in a nice way.

But Prabhupada also had interest in spiritual life especially after meeting his guru. He wanted to be a serious spiritual practitioner. But he did not want to do it alone. He also wanted his wife to participate.

The wife is called better half because she makes her husband complete. When they both cooperate with each other then married life is successful. But his wife was not interested in spiritual life.  Prabhupada would face difficulty in practicing spiritual life at home.

Family members did not cooperate

Along with his personal sadhana, he also wanted to preach the message of Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. But his family members were disinterested, or we can say that were opposed to it. His father-in-law would criticize him telling him that he only talks about spiritual life and neglects his other responsibilities.

At home he faced difficulty in practicing devotional life and preaching the message of scriptures.

His wife once sold his favourite book, Srimad Bhagavatam, to buy tea biscuits. During those days getting a book was not easy because printing press were very limited. When Prabhupada asked her why she did so, she said casually that because she could not find anything to exchange for tea biscuit.

And once when Srila Prabhupada asked her that if she has to choose between him and tea then what will she choose? Without much hesitation, she said, tea.  

But Prabhupada continued with his Krishna Conscious life.

Business collapsed

Along with the difficulties in family life, Prabhupada also had started facing difficulties in his pharmaceutical business. Though he tried his best, he suffered huge losses. His partners and workers betrayed him.

Once, one of his workers stole all money, medicine and valuables from his Allahabad pharmaceutical company and fled away.  He suffered great loss. It became impossible for him to continue with the business. 

When Prabhupada came to know about the theft then what did he do? Did he cry? Did he file police complaint? Did he lament on his fate? Not at all. He just laughed and recited a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam 10.88.8.

“The Personality of Godhead said: If I especially favour someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another.”

Prabhupada has set an example for us

Prabhupada was not overwhelmed by blazing fire of material existence.  During his difficult phase of life, he remembered Krishna. Having firm faith in Krishna, he was convinced that Krishna can do nothing wrong.

From Prabhupada’s life, we can understand that irrespective of external situations and circumstances, we should never give the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.  His life teaches us how a devotee of Krishna should act during trying circumstances. He has set an example for us. We just have to follow his footsteps.

Finding root cause of our suffering

Nothing happens by chance in our life. If we are going through difficult phase in our life then it can be due to our past karma or it can also be Krishna’s special arrangement to bring us closer to him. We don’t know the fact.

However, one thing which every serious and sincere devotee do is that he utilizes all the available opportunities to seriously practice devotion to Krishna.

Now most of the time when people face material problem, they try to find a material solution for it. That could be one approach. However, I think we should try to find the root cause of our suffering.  It could be possible that material solution can mitigate our current material problem. But the material world is such that after some time a new problem comes. 

So, we should try to think out of the box. We should look for a solution which is permanent and not temporary.

When Prabhupada’s business collapsed then he did not decide to establish a new business. He could have done it. But he knew that such types of material problems keep on occurring. Being a pure devotee of the Lord, he clearly understood that it is Krishna’s calling. So, he thought better to engage his time and energy in pursuing higher spiritual goals.

At home front too he did his best. But it is not always easy to change other person’s thought. Even one’s wife and children have free will and they like to act independently. So, Srila Prabhupada did his best and later took a bold and strong decision to renounce everything material and got totally involved in practicing and preaching Krishna Consciousness.

Attaining freedom from blazing fire of material existence

In the purport of Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.25, Srila Prabhupada writes,

“As one cannot stop a blazing fire by constantly pouring ghee upon it, one cannot satisfy oneself by increasing plans for sense enjoyment. The blazing fire is bhava-mahā-dāvāgni, the forest fire of material existence. This forest fire occurs automatically, without endeavor.”

In this world troubles will keep on coming. Just like the stars are countless in the sky, similarly the problems are countless in material world. So, Krishna says that transmigrate from this world and go to the spiritual world which is free of all sufferings.

Srila Prabhupada has set an exemplary example for all of us. We need to look at any material problem with a spiritual prism. In this world there is no end to material sufferings and if we continue being caught up in this vicious cycle then we would remain bereft of spiritual pleasure.

Human life is very precious. It in in human life only, we can completely free ourselves from all the sufferings and perfect our life.

So, we need to be extremely cautious about the decisions we take in life. We have to decide if we want to burn in the blazing fire of material existence or we want to attain freedom from it.  Our actions and endeavours will either confine us to this material world or it will take us back to the spiritual world. Choice is ours!“

“The influence of material nature has covered the living entity, and thus it is as if the living entity were always in a blazing fire. But by the process of seriously discharging devotional service, this influence can be removed, just as wooden sticks which cause a fire are themselves consumed by it.” Srimad Bhagavatam 3.27.23

Ultimate goal of yoga as per Bhagavad Gita

Today yoga is quite a popular term not only in India but all over the world but do people know the ultimate goal of Yoga as given in Bhagavad Gita. World political leaders, business tycoons, sports personalities, famous celebrities of Hollywood and Bollywood have yoga in their daily routine.

But for majority of them yoga means to keep themselves physically and mentally fit, so that they can lead a better life.  There is nothing wrong to have a good physical and mental health, but yoga is beyond this. 

Meaning of yoga

The word yoga which has its origin in the sanskrit root word, yuj, means to unite, to add or to join. So, yoga means to get united with Krishna. It also means adding Krishna in our life and joining him in the spiritual world which is free from all physical suffering and mental anxiety and where there is no death.

In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna delineates the meaning of yoga to Arjuna and elaborately explains different types of yoga and most importantly the ultimate goal of yoga. But before going into detail about different yoga process, Krishna first explains to Arjuna that he is a soul and not the physical body. As a soul, he is never going to die.

Soul never dies, Krishna explains

The physical body dies but the soul never dies. In fact, even with the most powerful weapon of this world soul cannot be killed or even slightly harmed. Even the powerful time cannot deteriorate the soul.

To function in this material world, we are given temporary physical body, material senses and the mind.

As long as we identify ourselves with our body, senses and mind and desperately try to seek happiness in this world, we suffer. For example, Arjuna’s suffering began when he developed material consciousness and began seeing the perpetrators based on familial affiliation.

Why soul suffers?

The famous archer, Arjuna, who had overpowered fiercest warriors got overpowered by material emotions. In that disturbed stage he approaches Krishna. Krishna speaks Bhagavad Gita to uproot Arjuna’s ignorance and to elevate his consciousness which was the main cause of his suffering.

Also, Krishna revealed to Arjuna, his true eternal identity knowing which he can attain complete salvation.

Material consciousness is the cause of our perpetual suffering. Material consciousness means to have a strong craving to enjoy the material world and live happy here.

No one can be happy in this world. Even if someone claims that he is happy in this world but in reality, he is not knowing that he is unhappy. Lest others start lampooning me for being too pessimistic, let me clarify that the “happiness” one claims to experience in this world is just “absence of pain.”  Let us understand this with an example.

An example to relate with

Sometimes a man buys a goat with the purpose of offering her in a sacrifice. When the goat is brought home, she is fed sumptuously and cared nicely. Goat feels happy.

On the day of sacrifice, the goat is bathed, a flower garland is put around her neck and her forehead is smeared with vermilion. In a procession accompanied with musical instruments she is taken to the arena of sacrifice.

While at stay at home and during the journey, the goat gloats on her great fortune little knowing that after few minutes her head will be severed from her body. And at that time when she will cry, no one will care.

The happiness which the material world gives us is similar to the happiness a butcher gives to the cattle. Here a man works day and night to make fortune but the ruthless material nature snatches everything from him.

The dying man clings to the death bed pleading doctor to save his life. With eyes filled with tears he begs his near and dear ones to not let him go. But everyone is helpless.

Final goal of all yoga

So, in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna does not give any false hope. With the desire to give topmost knowledge for the ultimate benefit of mankind, he speaks about different yoga process – karma yoga, jnana yoga, dhyana yoga and bhakti yoga.  

By practicing yoga, one is able to gradually transfer one’s consciousness from material to spiritual. When we go little deeper and try to understand each of the yoga process, we will find that the final goal of all yoga is to come to the conclusion that we are souls, Krishna is the Supreme Lord and for our own good, we should develop lasting relationship with Krishna.

Ultimate goal of karma yoga is Bhakti Yoga

When we try to understand karma yoga, we find that Krishna eventually asks Arjuna to engage in activities in this world so that he finally comes to him.

Karma means action. None of us can live even without a moment without doing anything in this world. Even for our basic needs we have to work.  But it is also important to know what kind of action to perform in this world. Actions sanctioned in the Vedic scriptures should only be performed.

Karma kanda

But actions can bind us in this world or liberate us. For example, there are people who practice karma kanda with a desire to enjoy in this world and after death they want to go to the heavenly planets and enjoy there. 

Those following the path of karma kanda may not know the difference between demigod and the Supreme Lord. So, they approach demigods to get desired results. But the result one gets is temporary because life either on earth or in heavenly planet is not permanent.  People who follow karma kanda remains bound in this world.

Sakama karma yoga

Above them are the those who follow the path of karma yoga. Yoga as discussed earlier is the process of connecting oneself to the absolute truth.  Initially the practitioner of karma yoga may not completely know who is the Supreme Lord. He may not understand the difference between Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan.

But he knows that whatever work he is going to do should be sanctioned by the scriptures and its fruits should be offered to the Supreme Lord. Initially a karma yogi may also have material desires and may work with that motive, so the process they are following is categorized as sakama karma yoga. 

Niskama karma yoga

However, Krishna asks Arjuna to come to the stage of niskama karma yoga. In Niskama karma yoga one works diligently but without any desire or attachment for the fruits of his work and whatever results one gets he offers it to the Supreme Lord. Bhagavad Gita 5.10. If one works with this consciousness, then one will not be affected by any sins and will get liberated from this world.  

And finally, Krishna clarifies that he is that Supreme Lord to whom all sacrifices should be offered. So, when one understands that Krishna is the Supreme Lord and one performs action (karma) in that consciousness and offers everything to him then it is Bhakti Yoga only.  

“A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” Bhagavad Gita 5.29

Final goal of ashtanga yoga

Similarly, Krishna explains in detail in the 6^th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita about the process of ashtanga yoga. But at the end he says that the best yogi is he who always thinks about him and meditates upon him. So, the final goal of astanga is also to reunite with Krishna.

“And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.” Bhagavad Gita 6.47

Jnana yoga too takes us to Bhakti Yoga

Purpose of Jnana Yoga is also to come to the conclusion that Krishna is our life’s goal. In Jnana Yoga one studies the living entities (jiva), the prakriti (material nature) and the Supreme Lord (isvara). By practicing jnana yoga, one is able to understand what is temporary and what is permanent.

The material nature and material body are temporary and so one should be detached from them. But soul and Supersoul are eternal, so one should focus on them and try to develop attachment with the Supreme Lord. 

The ultimate purpose of Vedic knowledge is to know Krishna, understand Krishna and finally conclude that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Lord. And with this understanding one should engage in his devotional service.  

“Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.” Bhagavad Gita 15.19.

Bhakti Yoga is the ultimate goal of all yoga

Arjuna, the ever-inquisitive student asks many questions when Krishna explains various yoga process. And many times, he frankly says to Krishna that the yoga process what he is explaining is difficult to practice, so he wants to know more. 

So, finally understanding Arjuna’s heart and his desire to know the complete truth, Krishna reveals the most confidential knowledge which he calls as rāja-vidyā, king of all knowledge. He says that amongst all yogas, bhakti yoga is topmost because by practicing bhakti yoga one can easily attain him. 

As discussed earlier, this world is full of miseries and no matter how best we try we cannot live here forever. So, the only solution is to go beyond this material world and reach spiritual world which is free from all physical and mental sufferings and where there is no death. 

Krishna assures that this is possible if we become his devotee and he further says that once we go his spiritual abode we will never come back to this material world.  Bhagavad Gita 8.15-16.

Those who are intelligent understands that Krishna is cause of all causes, the creator and maintainer of both material and spiritual world, so without any doubt they engage in his devotional service. Bhagavad Gita 10.8.

Krishna personally takes care of those devotees who practice bhakti yoga and also gives him intelligence by which a devotee can easily attain him.

How to practice Bhakti yoga?

So, Krishna says to Arjuna and through Arjuna to each one of us that we should become his devotee and constantly think and meditate upon him.  If we do so, then Krishna assures that we will come to him and reunite with him which is the ultimate and topmost goal of Yoga.

Because by practicing bhakti yoga, one attains complete perfection and goes to the spiritual world.  Krishna says how to practice bhakti yoga.

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” Bhagavad Gita 9.34

Conclusion

In a precarious situation, Arjuna had approached Krishna for guidance.  Krishna not just shows Arjuna the right path but also reveals him the process to attain topmost perfection. Arjuna had different sets of problems in his life, and we have our own problems which is making us suffer in this world.  

Krishna teaches the great knowledge of Gita to help us come out of this helpless situation. And the only way by which we can free ourselves from different types of material sufferings is by practicing Bhakti yoga. This is the topmost yoga and the ultimate goal of all yoga – karma yoga, astanga yoga and jnana yoga.

The aim of Bhagavad Gita is to not make us materially happy, but it is to make us eternally happy.  So, Krishna gives us Bhakti Yoga.

And if we start practicing Bhakti Yoga, as per Bhagavad Gita then we will get reunited with Krishna and we will be happy in this life also and in next life we will return back to the kingdom of Krishna which is free of all physical pain, mental anxiety and most importantly full of peace and bliss.

Bhagavad Gita establishes that Krishna is the Supreme Lord

Any serious student of Bhagavad Gita will come to the conclusion that Krishna is the Supreme Lord. But many people appreciate Gita and claim to read Gita but fail to accept that Krishna is the Supreme Lord.

Why is it so? It could be because they are not delving deep into Gita and reading it only superficially.  Also, it is important that we study scriptures like Gita under the guidance of a bona fide guru.

A bona fide guru is one who has not just studied Bhagavad Gita but is also living his life as per the teachings of Bhagavad Gita.

Arjuna was fortunate because he had Krishna with him. He accepted Krishna as his guru and like a submissive student he studied under him. After hearing from Krishna, Arjuna understood that Krishna is the Supreme Lord. 

Although Krishna did not have to prove that he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he did it for our own benefit.  In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna gives evidence that he is the Supreme Lord, and he also practically demonstrates while showing his universal form.

No truth superior to Krishna

For the first time in Bhagavad Gita Krishna reveals that he is the Supreme Lord when he says,

“O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” Bhagavad Gita 7.7

So, here Krishna is saying that just like pearls are held together by a string, similarly the entire universe consisting of multitude of galaxies, planets, stars, suns and moons rest upon him.  The entire universe is always in perfect order, so we are surviving. But this order is possible only because of Krishna.

Now what about the material nature. Sun rises every morning in the eastern horizon and sets in the west. We have different seasons, summer, monsoon and winter.  We sow the seed, and the trees and plants grow which is vital for our survival. Every moment we are getting oxygen without which we would die in few seconds.

This material nature is one of the energies of Krishna and it works under his direction.

“This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” Bhagavad Gita 9.10

Krishna is the original father and mother

None of us suddenly appears in this world from nowhere. To take birth in this world, we need mother and father. And our mother and father also takes birth from their mother and father and so on. But the original father and mother of all living beings is Krishna.

“I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire.” Bhagavad Gita 9.17

But Krishna is unborn, ajanma. He does not have father and mother like us. Yes, to perform pastimes, he has mother and father like Yashoda and Nanda Maharaj.

Again, in Bhagavad Gita 14.4, Krishna confirms that he is the seed giving father of all species – ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.

“It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.” Bhagavad Gita 14.4

Krishna is the source of all demigods

Vedic scriptures also talk about various demigods like Ganesha, Kartikeya, Indra, Chandra, Varun etc. There are millions of people who worship demigods because they consider them powerful and think that by pleasing them their desires will get fulfilled.

But in Bhagavad Gita 10.2, Krishna explains that there is no need to separately worship demigods because he is the source of the demigods.

What to speak of the demigods and ordinary beings like us, he says that he is the source of all the spiritual and material worlds, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, BG 10.8.

Universal form proves Krishna is the Supreme Lord

Arjuna does not dispute this fact. He too accepts that Krishna is the Supreme Lord and ultimate abode of all. And according to Arjuna, this fact is even corroborated by great sages like Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa. BG 10.12-13.

Whatever magnificent we see and extraordinary we perceive has its root in Krishna only.

For example, Krishna says, “Of the Ādityas I am Viṣṇu, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I am Marīci, and among the stars I am the moon. Of the Vedas I am the Sāma Veda; of the demigods I am Indra, the king of heaven; of the senses I am the mind; and in living beings I am the living force [consciousness].” BG 10.21-22

Although Arjuna has no doubt that Krishna is the Supreme Lord but still, he requests Krishna to show his universal form,virāṭ-rūpa, so that no one ever doubts Krishna’s claim that he is the Supreme.  

When Krishna shows his gigantic universal form which was spread throughout the universe then Arjuna sees the entire creation within Krishna. He sees the planets, the sky, the stars, the moon. He also sees within Krishna creation and annihilation, birth and death.  

In fact, he sees everything within Krishna, “My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I see assembled in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahmā sitting on the lotus flower, as well as Lord Śiva and all the sages and divine serpents.”  BG 11.15

Arjuna sees in that universal form all powerful demigods and great sages are surrendering to Krishna and offering their prayers to him.

Demigods & sages surrender to Krishna

“All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying “All peace!” are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns.” Bhagavad Gita 11.21.

“All the various manifestations of Lord Śiva, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, the two Aśvīs, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the Yakṣas, the Asuras and the perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder.” Bhagavad Gita 11.22

Now no other demigods have ever shown any universal form. Not just that many other religions of this world do not have any examples of their Gods showing any such universal form.

Conclusion 

So, after studying Bhagavad Gita, we can conclude that Krishna indeed is the Supreme Lord.  This great literature firmly establishes that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So, Gita Mahatmya says, let there be only one scripture, Gītopaniṣad or Bhagavad Gita, in the entire world which was spoken by the son of Devaki because this scripture alone can save the entire humanity.

World Hindu Congress honours Srila Prabhupada & Iskcon

The 2nd World Hindu Congress held at Chicago, United States, honoured Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON for the extraordinary contribution in spreading the teachings of Vedic scriptures like Bhagavad Gita all over the world.  Srila Prabhupada is the founder acharya of Iskcon.

With participants from 60 countries, it is one of the largest international Hindu conferences. In its message while honouring Srila Prabhupada and Iskcon, World Hindu Congress said, “For spreading the message of Bhagavad-Gita to unreached areas through translation in over 70 languages and making it accessible to diverse ethnic communities throughout the world.”

Determined Preacher, full of compassion

When Srila Prabhupada was physically present, he travelled all over the world, to spread the teachings of Bhagavad Gita and other Vedic literatures. He was doing his best to wake up the sleeping souls who were suffering because of ignorance.  

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.5.3 says, “… great philanthropic souls travel on the earth on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to show compassion to the fallen souls who are averse to the sense of subordination to the Lord.”

Once when one of his godbrothers said to Prabhupada, “So you are going to America?” Prabhupada immediately replied, “No, Srimad Bhagavatam is going to America. I am accompanying Srimad Bhagavatam as a servant.”

He travelled all alone at the age of 70 to lay the foundation of worldwide Krishna conscious movement. He was penniless. When death stared at him, he remained fearless.

And when challenges confronted him, he fought hard in spite of his frail body. When the going was tough, he continued working for Krishna with patience and determination.

Srila Prabhupada had appeared in this world to fulfil the prophecy of Lord Chaitanya that the holy names of Krishna will be chanted in every town and village of the world. He came to tell each and every one to shun sins and surrender to Krishna. 

Prabhupada came to reunite all the souls who is suffering the repeated cycle of birth and death with Krishna. He came to inundate the heart of sufferings souls with love of Krishna.

He was here because he cared for us because he saw everyone children of same God. The fortunate souls who agreed to abide by his teachings gave up sinful habits, sinful tendencies and so were able to experience the bliss of devotional life.

Krishna sent him for us

There are millions of unfortunate souls who leave the abode of Krishna to pursue their personal ambitions. They don’t want to serve Krishna, but they want to be served like Krishna. And they don’t want to love Krishna but want to be loved like Krishna.

They don’t want to worship Krishna but want to be worshipped like Krishna. When they see cowherd girls and boys singing and dancing to give pleasure to Krishna, they think why Krishna should be the only enjoiner.

The seed of envy soon fructifies, and they leave their spiritual homes, their spiritual family members and come to this ephemeral world.  Krishna being very kind and caring makes all arrangement for them to pursue their separatist goal, but they are warned that away from the spiritual world suffering is inevitable.

Krishna accompanies the souls wherever they go as paramātmā.  And he also appears in this world again and again to reclaim the lost souls. Not just that he sends his chosen representatives to illuminate the heart of ignorant masses who is suffering terribly and have got so accustomed to suffering that they do not realize they are suffering.

So, Krishna sent Srila Prabhupada to save the suffering souls like us. It is not mere a chance that Prabhupada appeared on the day of Nandotsava, he came as per Krishna’s plan to invite us to celebrate our life with Krishna.

Spread the teachings of Vedas all over the world

One of the most important qualities of Prabhupada which attracted me initially was that he never claimed he is God but always said Krishna is God.  He made Krishna so popular that today Janmashtami and Rath Yatra is celebrated in almost all the major cities of the world.

Srila Prabhupada made love of Krishna accessible to anyone and everyone and so today holy names of Krishna is chanted by millions of people all across the world.

He made the transcendental teachings of Vedic literatures accessible to all.  Srila Vyasdeva wrote in Sanskrit to illuminate the world with the message of Krishna. Feeling compassion on spiritually illiterate people he not just translated the verses in English, the most popular language of our time, but gave elaborate purport to give us complete import of the verses.

Salients features of Prabhupada’s literary contribution

• Wherever and whenever his books are read without prejudice people irrespective of their religious affiliation begin appreciating it.
• Wisdom words of his transcendental literature have the potential to unite the warring nations.
• His sublime message enlightens those who foolishly shed blood in the name of their God.
• His teachings forces those who exploit others to see all living beings as children of the same God.
• If his purports are read with an open heart then it floods the hearts of lesser mortals with love for all.
• His books are revolutionary and if people read it with an open mind it can unite entire humanity.

Unparalleled struggle and sacrifice to spread Krishna Consciousness

Although Prabhupada physically left us but he continues to be with us through his pure Krishna conscious teachings. Although Prabhupada departed from this world around in 1977 years back but through his books he continues to transform the lives of millions of people all over the world.

His books which tell us how we can reawaken our dormant love for Krishna has been distributed in almost every part of the world. From the silicon valley of California to the jungles of Africa, anyone who reads these sacred books instantly feel connected to Krishna.

During his physical presence Prabhupada created an army of dedicated disciples, his spiritual children, who are currently working wholeheartedly with dedication to spread the Krishna conscious movement.  Without caring for their life, they are working tirelessly to share the message of Vedic literatures with all.

It is only the magic of his empowerment that we have such exalted Vaisnav acharyas with us who are inspiring us to surrender and commit to this life transforming Krishna Conscious movement.

As a spiritual master, Prabhupada, has set such an example which justifies the saying mukam karoti vachalam. pangum langhayate girim. yat-kripa tam aham vande. sri-gurum dina-taranam. “I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the deliverer of the fallen souls. His mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross mountains.”

The more one studies Prabhupada’s life and his teachings one develops more appreciation for him. In the history of humanity there would rarely been a person who sacrificed to such an extent selflessly to give Krishna to others.

World Hindu Congress recognised the contribution of Srila Prabhupada and the efforts of Iskcon in spreading the teachings of Bhagavad Gita and other Vedic literatures all over the world.

Few practical steps a devotee of Krishna can take to overcome lust

Lust destroys our life, so we should take practical steps to overcome lust. If we fail to do so, we will destroy our life. Lust killed Ravana much before Lord Rama killed him. Lust may also be killing us. Most of the times, we feel ashamed to admit that we are being troubled by lusty thoughts.

Many say that when one is young, one may fantasize about women but as one advances in age that tendency goes away. But this is not true.  Even old men have lusty thoughts and are tormented because of it. I have seen many old men watching Hollywood/Bollywood movies and dancing on movie songs. They think its cool to do so.

King finds out how difficult it is to give up lust

There is story of a king who once told one of his minster that as one grows old, one loses all interest to enjoy with opposite sex. The minister disagreed. King wanted the proof. The minister invited the king to the house of an old men who was more than eighty years old and was on death bed.

The king agreed. But the minister said to the king that you bring your young daughter also with you. So, the next day king arrived with his young daughter to the old man’s house. The minster asked the daughter to wait in the corner of the room.

King and the minister went near the old man.  The elderly man who was hardly able to speak and was surrounded by his family members. But as the daughter was standing there was tinkling of bangles and anklets.

The old man immediately started looking towards the corner from where the sound was coming. Although unable to express anything, his eyes showed that he was more interested in seeing the young lady then the king.

The king felt offended and returned back with the minister and of course with his daughter. Some say that the king was Akbar and the minister Birbal. Whoever may be the king and the minister, that is not so important, the most important lesson is that it is not easy to give up lust desires.

So, we should not think that since I am young now, it is nothing wrong to have desire for opposite sex. As the years will pass my lusty desires will subside. Instead, one should do ones best to curb lust when one is young.

Let us see what few practical steps we can take to overcome lust.

Practical steps to overcome lust

Need for a friend, philosopher and guide

One of the important reasons for Ravana’s falldown was that he did not have a guru nor any genuine friend whom he trusted. He was full of ego so he did not feel the need of a guru. And he considered himself superior to all, so he did not have any friend. He was all alone.

In Ramayana, we see that Ravana was surrounded by ministers who were utterly selfish and were afraid of speaking truth to him. They were his ‘yes’ men. And so, we see that when Ravana kidnapped another man’s wife, apart from Vibhishana no one endeavored even a little to correct the king.

On the other hand, we see Vidura who was the brother and minster of Dhritarashtra never shied away from giving good advice to Dhritarashtra. Although most of the time Dhritarashtra did not heed Vidura’s advice but Vidura continued speaking truth to him.

And at the fag end of his life because of Vidura’s counselling, Dhritarashtra understood that how foolishly he has been acting and how miserable he has become. So, he decided to retire to the forest. His chaste wife, Gandhari followed him. And finally, both of them were able to attain liberation.

So, it is necessary that we have a friend, philosopher, and guide in our life. Any moment we may be lured by the illusory energy of the Lord in the form of lust, and we may fail to figure out what is good and what is bad for us. At that time, we need a guru’s guidance and a friend’s shoulder.

Do not become a victim of internet pornography

Today, in this age of internet, it is very challenging to protect ourselves from lust. As internet have penetrated our personal lives, we are always at the risk of succumbing to lust. Earlier brothel would be situated in a particular part of the city were no cultured men ventured.

Even if anyone thought about going there, they did not do so because of social stigma. But today it is not necessary to go to brothel, just by the click of few buttons on smart phone or laptop one can enter the virtual pornographic world. And no one will even come to know what we are doing on internet.

Not just pornographic industry is spreading vulgarity but today’s movies, TV serials, commercials are full of scantily dressed men and women gyrating on some obscene songs.

Increase in sexual crimes like rape is also linked to pornography. A report published in The New Indian Express says, “As described by the title of eminent psychoanalyst and author Danielle Knafo’s book, we now live in ‘The Age of Perversion’ that is aided completely by our addiction to technology. And experts are of the opinion that increased accessibility to porn and, more importantly, the nature of porn being consumed have an impact on potential predators and their chances of committing the crime.”

So, we should be extremely careful while using internet. If we do not require smart phone than we should switch to button phone. And even if we have to use smart phone and laptop then we should install software to block the pornographic sites and those sites which disseminate vulgarity.

I think, it will be best, if the government bans pornographic sites and any other sites or programs which is obscene.

Uplift your consciousness by associating with good people and good books

Association plays a very important role in our life. Lord Rama’s association purified the monkeys. If we also associate with those who are driven by higher purpose, then we will lose taste for lower things like lust.

For example, hippies were able to give up drugs and lust by associating with Srila Prabhupada and following his instructions. So, we should also try to surround ourselves with sincere devotees of the Lord.

Along with that we should read good books. Literatures like Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Ramayana is not just intellectually nourishing but it also helps to understand what is good for us and what is not.

Never be idle – always keep yourself mentally and physically engaged

We should never keep ourselves idle but should always engage ourselves in some physically activity for the Lord.  Lord Rama has set this precedent.

When he began ruling the world then he did not allow his brothers to remain idle, instead, he sent them to conquer the entire world. Srila Prabhupada explains, “The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not allow any of His devotees or assistants to be engaged in sense gratification. The younger brothers of Lord Rāmacandra were at home enjoying the personal presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Lord ordered Them to go out and achieve victory all over the world.’ Śrimad Bhagavatam 9.11.25, purport.

If we begin serving the Lord with our mind, body and words then we will be able to conquer lust gives pain than pleasure. 

Also, we should regularly chant the holy names of the Lord like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. It will keep us mentally engaged and most importantly will purify our heart.

These are some of the important practical steps we can take to overcome lust. If we are able to do so, we will become peaceful, will be able to focus on higher goals and can practice Krishna Consciousness more seriously.

Bhagavad Gita Quiz 3

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Why we celebrate Gopāṣṭamī and its relevance today?

Gopāṣṭamī is the day when Krishna got the responsibility of tending the cows in Vrindavan.  Krishna was extremely happy to get the opportunity to take care of the cows because he loves cows and today this is known to all.

If we love someone genuinely, then we love what he loves the most. So, if we say we love Krishna then we should love cows too. Krishna enjoys the company of the cows. Although he is the Supreme Lord, but he loves to be called as a cowherd boy. He is called Gopala because he takes care of the cows. He gives pleasure to the cows as well, so he is called Govinda. And Krishna’s friends are also cowherd boys.

How Gopāṣṭamī started?

As a child when Krishna was less than 6 years, he delightfully took the service of tending the calves. He did it so well that when he reached the age of paugaṇḍa [six to ten], the elders of Vrindavan gave him the responsibility of taking care of the cows. And that special day came to be known as Gopāṣṭamī.

In the Kārttika-māhātmya section of the Padma Purāṇa it is mentioned, “The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika is known by authorities as Gopāṣṭamī. From that day, Lord Vāsudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.”

Cow’s milk is elixir for human society

As the Supreme Lord of the entire creation, Krishna does not have to do anything, but still in his eternal pastimes he chooses to take care of the cows. Now, when God loves someone then that someone has to be special. And cows are indeed special. Cow’s milk is elixir for human society. It has been medically proven and most importantly has been experienced by each one of us.

I do not think there can be anyone who did not grow up drinking cow’s milk. When children show reluctance to drink milk then mother forcibly makes child to drink the cow milk because a mother knows what is best for her child.

Cow’s milk is a great source of protein, calcium, magnesium and valuable nutrients like Vitamin B12 and iodine. As per a report in Economic Times, around 6 billion people all over the world consume cow’s milk. The paper further says that cow’s milk contains antibiotics which boost immunity and helps in preventing deadly diseases like cancer and HIV.

Just like a mother takes care of her baby selflessly, similarly, cows nourish us without expecting anything from us. Give her some grass which is widely available, and she is contented and gives us abundant milk.  And from her milk, many delicious and healthy food items can be prepared.

Cows helps to solve economic problem too.  Srila Prabhupada writes, “..one is considered to be a rich man by the strength of his store of grains and cows. With only these two things, cows and grain, humanity can solve its eating problem. Human society needs only sufficient grain and sufficient cows to solve its economic problems.” Srimad Bhagavatam Purport 3.2.29

Previously, on any auspicious occasions kings or rich men would give cows in charity along with gold, diamonds and other valuable gems. When Krishna appeared then Vasudeva and Devaki gave ten thousand cows in charity to the brāhmaṇas.

Cow’s Product a must for Vedic sacrifices

Cow’s products are used in worshipping the deity and in all Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. While churning the milk ocean, cows delivered five products, namely milk, yogurt, ghee, urine and cow dung. These are called as panca-gavya.

Panca-gavya is used in Vedic sacrifices. It is used in performing abhishek of the Lord in the festivals like Janmashtami, Ram Navami, Gaur Purnima and during the installation of the deities in the temple.

Cow represents India’s glorious past

Cow is a symbol of Indian spiritual culture and civilization which is India’s pride.  Just like a flag of any country is not mere a piece of cloth, similarly cow is not just like any other animal. She represents India’s glorious past.

Just like when we see the flag of our country, we immediately remember our mother land, similarly when we see mother cow, we remember India’s rich Vedic culture and civilization which is India’s identity.

If anyone fails to show respect to the national flag, it means that he has no love and gratitude for the country where he was born and where he grew up. Similarly, if one is not honouring mother cow then it means that one does not have love for rich Indian spiritual culture in which cow played a significant role.

In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that if an Indian does not have reverence for cows then it also implies that he/she does not have genuine love for India. How can you say you love India, but you do not love those people and those animals which made this country a beautiful place.  

I remember when I had gone to United Nations Office at Geneva in Switzerland, I was desperately looking for the Indian flag amongst hundreds of other country’s flags which were displayed on the lawn there.  

And as soon as I was able to see the Indian flag, my heart surged with pride. I was overwhelmed with the thought of my country. Similarly, when I see cows especially in Vrindavan, I immediate remember Krishna’s wonderful pastimes with mother cows. 

Scriptures about the importance of cow protection

When we read Vedic scriptures, we come to know how noble rulers protected religious principles by protecting cows. When Kali dressed as a king was torturing a bull and a cow then King Parikshit who was the emperor and grandson of Arjuna, immediately took his sword to punish the perpetrator. 

The king boldly declared, “O son of Surabhi, you need lament no longer now. There is no need to fear this low-class śūdra. And, O mother cow, as long as I am living as the ruler and subduer of all envious men, there is no cause for you to cry. Everything will be good for you.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.17.9

In Bhagavad Gita, 18.44, Krishna says that a vaisya has the duty to protect the cows, go-rakṣya.

Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65, mentions that the Supreme Lord is the well-wisher of brahmanas and the cows, go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca.  

In Srimad Bhagavatam 11.11.43, Krishna tells Uddhava, “I can be worshiped within the cows by offerings of grass and other suitable grains and paraphernalia for the pleasure and health of the cows – goṣv aṅga yavasādinā.”

Srila Prabhupada has multiple times underlined the importance of cow protection. He says that human society will suffer if it fails to protect cows, “Civilized men who follow the system of varṇāśrama, especially those of the vaiśya class, who engage in agriculture and trade, must give protection to the cows. Unfortunately, because people in Kali-yuga are mandāḥ, all bad, and sumanda-matayaḥ, misled by false conceptions of life, they are killing cows in the thousands. Therefore, they are unfortunate in spiritual consciousness, and nature disturbs them in so many ways, especially through incurable diseases like cancer and through frequent wars among nations. As long as human society continues to allow cows to be regularly killed in slaughterhouses, there cannot be any question of peace and prosperity.”   Srimad Bhagavatam 8.8.11

Show your love to Krishna by loving what Krishna loves

If we want to show our love to Krishna, if we want to preserve Vedic ethos, then it is imperative that cows should be restored to her original glorious position. She should be revered and protected as a mother. Indeed, scriptures say that a human being has seven mothers and one of them is a cow.

Killing cows or considering her just like any other animal imply that we do not value the love which Krishna has for cows. Taking care of cows and protecting her from being slaughtered means understanding the feelings of Krishna and reciprocating with it.

Both the government and people should take the onus of protecting the cows and taking care of her not just when she is giving milk but even when she is not giving milk. This is the best way to show our love to Krishna and celebrate Gopāṣṭamī.

On the day of Gopāṣṭamī, devotees of Krishna and many pious Indians go to goshala to feed the cows. They also worship mother cows on that auspiocus day. But why only on Gopāṣṭamī day, we should love and care mother cow every day of the year.

Seven important achievements of Srila Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada has many accomplishments but let us reflect upon his seven most important achievements.

But before discussing his achievements let us briefly discuss about his journey to the western world which changed the world for good.

Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual journey

At the age of 69 when most people retire and prefer a peaceful life, Srila Prabhupada decided to go on a voyage to a distant land where he had never gone before. His mission was very clear.

He wanted to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world, which was the desire of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Although he would have preferred to go long back but he had no money with him. At last, one kind lady, Sumati Morarjee, who was the owner of a Scindia Steam Navigation Company, allowed him to board her cargo ship, Jaladuta.

His meagre possession

Now he had a ticket and a seat in Jaladuta which would take him to the distant land, America. But he had almost no money with him. While boarding the ship his possessions were: a suitcase, an umbrella, supply of dry cereals, a Bengali copy of Caitanya –Caritamrta and Rs 40.

But his greatest possession two hundred three-volume sets of First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which he had translated and commented upon. These transcendental literatures were being carried in trunks.

This was the first time he would be travelling outside his beloved country Bharatvarsha.

While boarding the cargo ship at the Kolkata port he was not sure if he will ever return back alive. In fact, when he had revealed his heart to his near and dear ones about his mission, no one encouraged him. Everyone thought that he is treading on a wrong path. But he did not bother because he knew Lord Krishna is with him.

He boarded Jaladuta on 13th August 1965.His journey wasn’t smooth. On board he suffered 2 massive heart attacks. He would have left his body if the 3rd would have come.

Poem by Srila Prabhupada: Markine – Bhagavata – dharma

On board he composed a Bengali Poem ‘Markine – Bhagavata – dharma’ . Some of the verses are:

My dear Lord Krishna, you are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me ……

Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure, as You like…..

Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts, they will certainly feel gladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life….

O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.

Prabhupada reaches USA and successfully establishes Krishna Consciousness

After 35 days of journey, Jaladuta arrived at Boston’s Commonwealth Pier at 5:30 am on September 17, 1965. Prabhupada was finally in America and his mission was to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world. This was also what his beloved spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati wanted. He had the mercy of his guru and the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna.

During his initial days in USA, he had to struggle a lot. However soon his hard work, his dedication, his determination, his supreme sacrifice started bearing fruits. And in a short span of 12 years, he changed the face of the world, the Hare Krishna movement reverberated in every nook and corner of the world.

Now let us discuss his seven most important achievements:

Achievements of Srila Prabhupada

1. Established Iskcon & opened 108 temples

He established ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) on 13^th July 1966 in New York, United States.  He established more than 108 temples all over the world in a short span of 12 years, opened several gurukuls and established farm communities.

Today Iskcon has more than 700 temples all over the world and thousands of centres. There are millions of followers of Iskcon worldwide.

2. Founder of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

Srila Prabhupada is the founder of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust which today has become the world’s largest publisher of Vaishnava philosophy. He has authored more than 80 books on Vaishanava philosophy.

Also, he was instrumental in introducing Vedic gurukul system of education in the western world.

He also started monthly Back to Godhead magazine which is today printed in almost all the languages of the world.  This was also the wish of Srila Prabhupada. He once commented, “Actually we want that BTG be printed in every major language and distributed all over the world so that there is no language barrier in taking to our movement.”

3. Established deity worship all over the world

He is instrumental in promoting deity worship all over the world. This is one of the most important achievements of Srila Prabhupada. He made us understand that deities are not just a carving of stone or metal, but they are actually Radha and Krishna. In this material world although we are not able to see Krishna directly with our eyes like Arjuna would see or the residents of Vrindavan and Mathura would see.

But today the same Krishna is present as arca-vigraha. If one is worshipping the deity as per Vedic standards and with all love and devotion then Krishna manifests.

Srila Prabhupada says Krishna looks weak

Once Srila Prabhupada went to a temple and took darshan of the deity. After paying his obeisances to the deity, he got up and looked towards the deity. He then said to the devotees who were there that Krishna is not being offered proper bhoga (food). He looks weak.

Later when the devotees inquired, they found that because of some mismanagement in the temple, proper bhoga was not being offered to Krishna on time.

So, the deity of Krishna is non-different from Krishna. Similarly, the deity of Srimati Radharani is non-different from Srimati Radharani.  When, we the conditioned souls render service to the deities then we get purified and develop loving devotional service for the Lord.

Today because of Srila Prabhupada’s efforts Krishna is being worshipped in his archa or deity form all over the world. And people are getting an opportunity to get the mercy of Krishna.

Archa Vigraha non different than Krishna

Srila Prabhupada explains about the arca-vigraha form of the Lord,

“The transcendental form of the Lord installed in a temple is not different from the Lord personally. Such a form of the Lord is called arca-vigraha, or arcā incarnation, and is expanded by the Lord by His internal potency just to facilitate the devotional service of His innumerable devotees who are in the material world. The material senses cannot perceive the spiritual nature of the Lord, and therefore the Lord accepts the arca-vigraha, which is apparently made of material elements like earth, wood and stone, but actually there is no material contamination. The Lord being kaivalya (one alone), there is no matter in Him. He is one without a second, and therefore the almighty Lord can appear in any form without being contaminated by the material conception.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.11.24

4. Introduced Rath Yatra festival outside India

He introduced Rath Yatra festival outside India and also in different Indian cities. Today apart from the grand Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Orissa (India), this glorious event is celebrated in more than 100 major cities of the world such as Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, London, Budapest, Melbourne, Montreal, Paris, New York, Singapore, Toronto, Antwerp, Kuala Lumpur, Venice, Dhamrai.

This is one of the other noteworthy achievements of Srila Prabhupada.

5. Introduced Vaisnava dress like Dhoti kurta & sari

Dhoti-kurta is a traditional Indian dress, but many Indians because of the influence of western culture feel awkward wearing it. But Srila Prabhupada was very strict. He ensured his disciples whether in west, east, north or south wear Vedic dress.

He was travelling all over the world to teach all how to lead a Vedic life. So, he made sure that his disciples adhere to the Vedic standards. He wanted men to wear dhoti, kurta and women saris. Also, it was important for all the devotees to put on Vaishnava tilak.

I remember the most difficult thing for me was to wear dhoti kurta in my college days. I would think that if my college mates will see then they will make fun of me. And I would feel embarrassed to wear it in front of my parents, brother and sisters. Of course, now there is no problem.

Srila Prabhupada never compromised with any principles. He expected that whatever is given in the scriptures should be followed as it is. Initially when an American devotee wanted that they should give up Vedic dress and wear American dress as it would make them look normal which will help in preaching then Srila Prabhupada disagreed. Srila Prabhupada would say, men with dhoti, kurta, tilak and shaven head and women with saris and tilak look like residents of Vaikuntha.  

6. Made Hare Krishna Mahamantra popular all over the world

How did Srila Prabhupada start preaching? Just by singing Hare Krishna Mahamantra. He would go to park and sing the Mahamantra. And young American boys and girls got attracted to Krishna. Krishna is all attractive, his name is all attractive and when his pure devotee chants his name then obviously anyone listening would get attracted to Krishna.

And today, we see that the chanting of Hare Krishna Mahamantra has taken the world by storm. Today almost everyone knows this Mahamantra. You Tube is flooded with this divine melody. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came here to teach all to chant the names of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, his pure devotee, carried forward this divine chanting.

7. Addicted millions to Krishna Prasadam

Iskcon means prasadam. Today, you ask anyone to share their experience of visiting Iskcon and most probably the first thing they will share about Iskcon is its prasadam. In this material world, we have this habit of stuffing ourselves with filthy stuffs. It makes us physically and spiritually sick.

So better to always eat prasadam. Because prsasadam is pure, delicious and carries the mercy of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada was here to distribute mercy of Krishna and one of the best ways is to distribute prasadam as much as possible.

In Kolkata Rath Yatra, thousands of plates of khicdi are distributed free to all and everyone relishes it. At Iskcon Newtown temple in Kolkata, devotees are planning to distribute prasadam to many nearby villages.

When one of the lady devotee asked Prabhupada how to go back to godhead, Srila Prabhupada said, “You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and eat nice kṛṣṇa-prasādam, you go back to home. Rest assured.”

As almost all of us enjoy Krishna prasadam, so it won’t be wrong to say that many of us would choose “prasadam” as one of the most important achievements of Srila Prabhupada.

Conclusion

Although here I have highlighted just seven achievements of Srila Prabhupada but there are many more which we can add.

He was a charismatic spiritual leader and a powerful Krishna Conscious preacher. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu had predicted that his mission will spread in every nook and corner of the world.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

“In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard.” (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya 4.126)

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu empowered Srila Prabhupada to carry forward the mission of spreading Krishna Consciousness all over the world. Today by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, Hare Krishna movement is still growing and will continue to grow for thousands of years.