Author: Purushottam Nitai Das

HH Loknath Swami Maharaj visits Iskcon Newtown Kolkata

HH Loknath Swami Maharaj visited Iskcon Newtown Kolkata on 5^th June 2023. Devotees of Iskcon Newtown, Kolkata felt blessed to get the association of Maharaj. Maharaj arrived at around 12 noon. Devotees welcomed Maharaj to the temple by joyfully singing Hare Krishna kirtan.

After arriving Maharaj first paid obeisances to Srila Prabhupada and then did arati of Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga.  He was very happy seeing the beautiful deity of Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga and was also pleased to see all the devotees who had assembled to welcome him.

He had a busy schedule since morning but still he took out time to come to Iskcon Newtown, Kolkata temple. Although from the temple he had to immediately go to airport to catch a flight but still he decided to speak few words to the devotees. In his address, Maharaj encouraged all the devotes to serve Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga wholeheartedly. 

Below is what Maharaj said:

HH Loknath Swami Maharaj addresses devotees

In Iskcon Bureau meeting I heard that ISKCON has taken land in Newtown, Kolkata. Today I got the opportunity to see the project. I did not think that project have grown so much. It is beyond my expectations that so many devotees are staying here. Project is expanding.

At Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s birthplace in Mayapur we are building Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP). Kolkata is Srila Prabhupada’s birthplace, so here also something big has to come. We keep on saying that Srila Prabhupada’s thinking was always big. So, this is the fruit of that big thinking in form of big project. In 1970, he was thinking of this type of project.

So, Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter to Gargmuni that I have given you name Gargmuni but since you are able to collect big money for the service of the Lord so your name should be Garg-money. Prabhupada asked him to arrange money for Kolkata project.  When Srila Prabhupada came to India, he started doing Hare Krishna festival in different cities including Kolkata.

Srila Prabhupada has given these seed forms. And I hope that it will be realized in our lifetime. The project has to take shape. The responsibility is upon you all. Get ready. Be prepared. Your full lifetime can be engaged here. From seed only fruit comes, and we taste it.

Prabhupada gave the seed of Krishna Consciousness

Prabhupada gave seed, seed plantation has happened. We have to see in the form of a big tree which will take time. Utilize your lifetime. Invest your lifetime. Easily we can say it’s Srila Prabhupada’s dream project. Are you ready? If you are ready then work will be done. Happy to see you all. Be happy. 

Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Vaisnavas have higher thinking and we should always think how to make everyone happy, healthy and prosperous. While hearing Srila Prabhupada I once heard that we call Lord “Hari” which means one who takes away the suffering. Further Srila Prabhupada said on behalf of “Hari” devotee takes away suffering of all. 

Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga has come to take away suffering of all

Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga has come. By Their mercy take away the suffering of all the people. World is miserable. To bring auspiciousness in the life of people this project will come up. What is expected from you, you do. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said go to each house and say, bolo Krishna bhajo Krishna. It will happen by Lord’s mercy.  I came to know there is Newtown in Kolkata and in Newtown there is Iskcon. So, I came and if Lord wishes I will spend more time with you all in future.

Devotees felt blessed to get the association of Maharaj

After addressing the devotees, Maharaj also visited Goshala to see mother cows. He fed green vegetables and fruits to the cows and also caressed them. He also took a short tour of the temple.

While leaving the temple for the airport Maharaj blessed each devotee by putting his transcendental hand on each devotee’s head.

Devotees at Iskcon Newtown, Kolkata were happy to get the association of HH Loknath Swami Maharaj and they wished that Maharaj frequently visits the temple and give his priceless association to all.

About HH Loknath Swami Maharaj

HH Loknath Swami Maharaj is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He first met Srila Prabhupada in 1971 at Cross Maidan, Mumbai. He took initiation from Srila Prabhupada in 1972 and also took sannyasa from Srila Prabhupada in December 1975 when he was 26 years old.  

HH Loknath Swami Maharaj is known all over the world for his melodious kirtan. He is also famous for spreading Krishna Consciousness in villages especially in Maharashtra. Following the footsteps of Srila Prabhupada, he has written many books which helps people to understand the sublime message of Krishna Consciousness.  

Desires for sense gratification drive us crazy

Our heart is always filled with the desires for sense gratification and mind keeps on constantly planning how to actualize the desire.

We assume that our senses are subservient to us and it is our duty to provide them what it wants. So, we are always putting in our best efforts to satisfy our gross senses – eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin – and three subtle senses – mind, intelligence and false ego. 

Eyes want to see beautiful forms, ears want to hear different melody, nose wants to smell something nice, tongue is crazy for palatable food and skin long for sensual touch.

Similarly, our subtle senses are mad for gratification. 

And we think that as masters we should give best joy to our senses, and we hope that by doing so we will experience happiness. 

But the reality is that we are not the masters of our senses, but in fact we are under its control. And so, if we refuse to obey our senses then our senses make us go crazy.

Analyse your life and you will find that 24 hours in a day you are busy acting as per the dictate of your senses.

A person lives in vain, if he lives only to satisfy his senses

We think that by gratifying our senses we can be happy in this world. But this is never going to happen. And this is confirmed by none other than Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

He says to Arjuna that those who live only to gratify their senses lead a sinful and unhappy life.  “My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.” Bhagavad Gita 3.16

To lead a peaceful and blissful life, it is imperative that we take charge of our senses.  But it is important to understand that our senses cannot be inert and our heart cannot be without desires.

Currently our heart is impregnated with worldly desires and our senses are busy in fulfilling those desires. And because of this our heart is infested with vices and so, we suffer externally and most importantly internally.

So, to attain freedom from these unwanted sufferings, we need to have proper desires and the senses need good engagement.

Pain producing material desires

Just as a jasmine flower cannot give up its fragrance, similarly we the living entities cannot give up desires. So, we need to carefully analyse the desires which gives pleasure, and which produces pain. Engaging the senses to satisfy material desires rarely give any pleasure. 

And the dollops of happiness, we experience in this world by material means is always accompanied with the anxiety of losing it at any moment.

So, the wise men of the yore always advised against being bogged by pain producing material desires. Instead, they advised us to blossom our heart with spiritual desires which produces pleasures which are uncontaminated and unlimited and not ephemeral.

Krishna appeared to teach us the futility of material desires

Krishna personally appeared as Lord Chaitanya to teach us the necessity of giving up material desires and to pursue spiritual desires with determination.  He educated us by his own example. Lord Chaitanya was earlier known as Nimai and was recognized as a great scholar.

He had a very dedicated and beautiful wife and an extremely loving mother, but he gave up these worldly pleasures voluntarily. Instead, he donned a sanyasi robe at a young age to teach the world how to perfect once human life by sincerely engaging in Krishna Consciousness.   

His two foremost disciples, Rupa Goswami and Santana Goswami, too gave up wealth, power and position and engaged 24hrs in a day in Krishna Consciousness.

Similarly, Srila Prabhupada dedicated his life in fulfilling the desire of his spiritual master.  His spiritual master wanted him to broadcast the teachings of Lord Chaitanya all over the world. And Srila Prabhupada accomplished it with flying colours. His journey wasn’t smooth, but he bravely fought all the obstacles with grit and with faith in Krishna’s protection.

As of now we think that how can we be happy if we give up our material desires because we do not have experience of being happy by being spiritual. But at least we have the experience that worldly desires never satiate our heart.

Blossoming the heart with higher spiritual desires

And we see that pure devotees always remain blissful by just carrying the desire to always serve the desire of Krishna in their heart.

Replacing lower material desires become ultra simple if we replace it with bliss producing higher spiritual desires. Even Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that lower taste can be given up only by higher taste and once taste for spiritual life fructifies in our heart, we will lose all our attraction for worldly desires.  

In this world one of the greatest desires is the desire to enjoy with the opposite sex. But even this can be given up easily if our heart gets attached to the lotus feet of Krishna.

There is a story of Dhanurdasa who was very attracted to the eyes of a lady. He would continuously look into her eyes thinking that this is the most beautiful creation in this world.  

Once Sri Ramanujacharya felt pity on him and showed him the eyes of Lord Ranganatha.

Dhanurdasa was wonderstruck. He got so mesmerized seeing the lotus like eyes of the beautiful Lord that he lost all attraction for the mundane eyes of the mortal lady.

Yamunacharya says candidly, “Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure, I spit at the thought, and my lips curl with distaste.”

Tolerating material desires

So, for our own good, we should focus on cultivating spiritual desires. But while doing so, we will be troubled by material desires. Unless we become completely purified, such lower desires will keep on knocking at our heart again and again. But we should not succumb to it.

Krishna advises in Bhagavad Gita 2.70 that just like ocean remains undisturbed by the incessant flow of rivers similarly we should not get agitated by the worldly desires which arise in our heart. We should neglect it and not act upon it. If we do so we will be peaceful.

Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.22 says that if we make plans with determination then we will be able to ultimately give up lusty desires for sense gratification. And simultaneously, we should make plan to flood our heart with Krishna Conscious desires. In fact, just the desire to serve Krishna will fill our heart with joy.

Krishna says, “A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego – he alone can attain real peace.” Bhagavad Gita 2.71

Purifying the senses by giving it blissful engagement

Now it is not just important to have the right desires, but we should also engage our senses in fulfilling those desires. If we study the life of pure devotees, we will see that their desire to serve the Lord did not remain dormant in their heart. But they worked tirelessly to serve the desire of the Lord.

For e.g. Hanuman was always busy in serving the wishes of Lord Rama to the best of his ability. And we know that Hanuman has humongous ability.  So, he did so many wonderful things for Lord Rama.

Rupa Goswami & Sanatana Goswami’s exemplary devotional service

Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami were so busy in their devotional service that they hardly slept or ate.

They would be thoroughly occupied in writing transcendental books to glorify Krishna and the great fortune of the devotees who take shelter of Krishna. They revealed those glorious places in Vrindavan where Krishna performed his memorable pastimes. 

The two brothers also constructed gorgeous temples and installed beautiful deities for the people to come and relish the nectar of devotional life.  And the two brothers who were personally instructed by Lord Chaitanya spent every moment of the day in inspiring people to practice devotion to Krishna.  

Srila Prabhupada – the global spiritual warrior

Following the footsteps of Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami, Srila Prabhupada too dedicated his life in widely distributing the transcendental message of Krishna and Chaitanya all over the world. He too built magnificent temples in different cities of the world, introduced the famous Rath Yatra festival outside India and wrote scores of transcendental literatures.

Like these liberated souls, we the conditioned souls should also not be idle but engage each of our senses in worshipping and serving the Lord. If we do so, we will be able to give up all desires for sense gratification and will always be engaged in the service of the Lord.

When toxic desires leave our heart, we feel great joy

And while doing so our heart will get cleansed of impurities like lust, anger and greed which is described as gateway to hell by Krishna in Bhagavad Gita.  Just like when toxins get removed from our body, we feel light and healthy.

Similarly, as the toxic desires will get flushed out from the heart and the senses will stop craving for those, we will start feeling light, healthy, peaceful and happy.  Once we free our heart of the desires for sense gratification, we will continuously experience great joy.

In that purified state, our eyes will enjoy seeing beautiful form of the Lord, ear in hearing the glories of the Lord, mouth in chanting the names of Lord, hands and legs in actively working for the Lord.

Experiencing the nectar of pure love of Krishna

Rupa Goswami shares his joy which he experiences while engaging his senses in chanting the names of Krishna in these beautiful words.

“I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Kṛṣ-ṇa’ have produced. When the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 1.99

If we engage our senses in Krishna Consciousness, we will slowly begin realizing that if senses are pursuing material desires, we become miserable, but if senses are busy in the service of Krishna, then we feel contented and happy.

And a day will come when by the grace of Krishna, we will be able to give up all desires for sense gratification and attain freedom from all miseries.  Heart will no longer carry the burden of material desires and even if any worldly desire knocks at our heart, we will just ignore it.

By engaging the senses in always serving the lotus feet of the Lord, which is compared to wish fulfilling tree, we will taste the nectar of love of Krishna and will remain eternally happy.

भगवान चैतन्य महाप्रभु के 12 अद्भुत नाम जो शुभ फल प्रदान करते हैं

श्री कृष्ण-चैतन्य-द्वादस-नाम-स्तोत्रम में, सार्वभौम भट्टाचार्य भगवान चैतन्य महाप्रभु के 12 महत्वपूर्ण नाम लिखते हैं। वे आगे कहते हैं कि चैतन्य के इन गौरवशाली नामों का प्रतिदिन जप करने से जीवन में शुभता आती है।

भगवान चैतन्य महाप्रभु के बारह प्रमुख नाम

(1) चैतन्यः कृष्ण-चैतन्यो गौरंगो द्विज-नायकः

यतिनम दंडिनम चैव न्यासीनम च सिरोमणिः

(2) रक्तांबर-धारः श्रीमन नवद्वीप-सुधाकरः

प्रेम-भक्ति-प्रदस चैव श्री-सचि-नंदनस तथा।

सार्वभौम भट्टाचार्य द्वारा श्री कृष्ण-चैतन्य-द्वादस-नाम-स्तोत्रम

भगवान चैतन्य के 12 नामों में से प्रत्येक का अर्थ इस प्रकार है

• चैतन्य – जीवित शक्ति
• कृष्ण-चैतन्य – सर्व-आकर्षक परम जीवित शक्ति
• गौरांग – वह गोरा शारीरिक रंग का
• द्विज-नायक – द्विज ब्राह्मणों में नायक
• यतिनाम सिरोमणि – सन्यासियों का शिखा रत्न (जो स्वतंत्र रूप से घूमते हैं)
• दंडिनम सिरोमणि – सन्यासियों का शिखा रत्न (जो डंडा ले जाते हैं)
• न्यासीनम शिरोमणि – सन्यासियों का शिखा रत्न (जो सब कुछ त्याग देते हैं)।
• रक्तांबर-धारा – वह जो लाल वस्त्र धारण करता है
• श्रीमन् – परम वैभवशाली
• नवद्वीप-सुधाकर – नवद्वीप में अमृत का स्रोत
• प्रेम-भक्ति-प्रद – परमानंद प्रेमपूर्ण भक्ति का दाता
• श्री-सची-नंदना – माँ शची के रमणीय पुत्र।

जो भगवान के इन बारह पवित्र नामों को दिन में तीन बार (सुबह, दोपहर और शाम को) पढेगा, वह अपने जीवन में पूर्णता प्राप्त करेगा और निश्चित रूप से भगवान चैतन्य के चरण कमलों की शुद्ध भक्ति प्राप्त करेगा जो परम है और सभी जीवों का आश्रय है।

धार्मिक सिद्धांतों को फिर से स्थापित किया

भगवान कृष्ण द्वारा इस नश्वर दुनिया में अपनी लीला पूरी करने और अपने शाश्वत संसार के लिए प्रस्थान करने के बाद, धार्मिक सिद्धांतों का पतन होने लगा। वास्तव में, चैतन्य महाप्रभु के आगमन से पहले, लगभग कोई धर्म नहीं था क्योंकि कोई भी शास्त्रों का पालन नहीं कर रहा था। वस्तुतः लोग शास्त्रों के प्रयोजन को ही भूल चुके थे। शास्त्रों की कोई चर्चा नहीं होती थी और मुश्किल से ही कोई कृष्ण के नामों का जाप करता था।

यदि कोई कृष्ण के नाम का जप करता था तो आम धारणा थी कि ऐसे लोग या तो मूर्ख हैं या गरीबी के कारण भूखे हैं इसलिए लाचारी से भगवान का नाम ले रहे हैं। चैतन्य महाप्रभु ने धार्मिक सिद्धांतों की पुनः स्थापना की।

उनकी गहन शिक्षाओं ने धर्म के संबंध में लोगों की सभी भ्रांतियों को दूर कर दिया। और धर्म के नाम पर लोगों को गुमराह करने वाले धर्मगुरुओं का पर्दाफाश हुआ और उनकी हार हुई।

जिंदा लाश से जिंदादिल भक्त

चैतन्य का अर्थ है जीवित शक्ति। उनकी शिक्षाओं के कारण लोगों ने भौतिक जीवन की निरर्थकता को समझा और कष्टदायक भौतिक जीवन को त्याग दिया और खुशी खुशी कृष्णभावनाभावित जीवन जीने लगे।

भौतिक जीवन कोई जीवन नहीं है क्योंकि ईश्वर जीवन का केंद्र नहीं है, इसलिए यह दुख से भरा है। यदि हम यह समझने में विफल रहते हैं कि हम ईश्वर के अंश हैं तो हम पत्थर की तरह मृत  हैं। जैसे पत्थर में जान नहीं होती, वैसे ही हम जिंदा लाश के सिवा कुछ नहीं हैं।

लेकिन चैतन्य महाप्रभु ने हमें सिखाया कि अपने फायदे के लिए हमें भौतिक चेतना से ऊपर उठकर खुद को कृष्णभावनामृत में स्थापित करना चाहिए। यदि हम ऐसा करते हैं, तो हम सभी सुखों के स्रोत कृष्ण की संगति में हमेशा के लिए खुशी से रह सकते हैं।

कृष्ण जो सांवले नहीं है

चैतन्य महाप्रभु कृष्ण हैं जो सांवले नहीं हैं। उनका सुनहरा रंग है। साथ ही वे वृंदावन की सर्वोच्च गोपी के भाव में हैं। कई बार अनुभवी भक्त उन पर मोर पंख नहीं लगाते क्योंकि अगर हम मोर पंख लगाते हैं तो इसका मतलब है कि हम चैतन्य महाप्रभु की भाव में बाधा डाल रहे हैं।

ज्यादातर समय महाप्रभु श्रीमति राधारानी के भाव में रहते हैं, और हम जानते हैं कि राधारानी मोर पंख नहीं लगाती है। महाप्रभु हमेशा कृष्ण के विचारों में लीन रहते हैं। वे स्थिर नहीं हैं; वे हमेशा कृष्ण प्रेम के लिए आंदोलित रहते हैं।

महाप्रभु यहां क्यों आए?

चैतन्य महाप्रभु के आने के कई कारण हैं। एक कारण गोपियों का कर्ज चुकाना है। जब कृष्ण ने वृंदावन छोड़ा तब गोपियाँ कृष्ण के वियोग में लगातार रोती रहीं। इसलिए, चैतन्य महाप्रभु के रूप में वे हमेशा रोते थे जैसे गोपियां कृष्ण से अलगाव महसूस कर रही हों।

चैतन्य महाप्रभु के रूप में वे हमेशा गोपियों की तरह रोते थे। वे कृष्ण से वियोग को वैसे ही अनुभव करते थे जैसे गोपियों को कृष्ण से वियोग का अनुभव होता था।

भगवद गीता 4.11 में, कृष्ण कहते हैं, ये यथा माम प्रपद्यन्ते, “जैसा कि सभी मेरे प्रति समर्पण करते हैं, मैं उन्हें उसी के अनुसार पुरस्कृत करता हूं।” अतः कृष्ण भक्तों को कुछ देने के लिए उत्सुक रहते हैं, लेकिन कृष्ण के शुद्ध भक्त उनसे कुछ नहीं माँगते। वे केवल कृष्ण को कुछ देना चाहते हैं। वे हमेशा उनकी सेवा करना चाहते हैं।

सनातन गोस्वामी कहते हैं कि जब कृष्ण भक्तों से कुछ माँगने के लिए कहते हैं तो भक्त तीन बार “नहीं” कहते हैं। वह तीन बार ना कहने का कारण बताते हैं – अतीत में नहीं, वर्तमान में नहीं और भविष्य में नहीं। इसलिए, ऐसे प्रिय भक्तों का कर्ज चुकाने के लिए जिनकी कोई व्यक्तिगत इच्छा या मकसद नहीं है, कृष्ण उन्हें प्रेम देने के लिए चैतन्य महाप्रभु के रूप में आते हैं।

महाप्रभु हमेशा भगवान के शुद्ध प्रेम को बांटने के लिए उत्सुक रहते हैं। लेकिन महाप्रभु केवल उन्हीं को प्रेम देते हैं जो सरल हैं, जिनका कोई दोहरा चरित्र नहीं हैं और जिनका कोई छिपा हुआ उद्देश्य नहीं है।

अद्वैत आचार्य ने चैतन्य महाप्रभु से अनुरोध किया कि वे उन लोगों को प्रेम न दें जो धन, शक्ति और सुंदरता पर गर्व करते हैं। उन्होंने कहा, “जो हमेशा कृष्ण के नाम का जप करते हैं और सरल हृदय वाले हैं, उन्हें प्रेम दें।“

यदि हमारा हृदय इन्द्रिय भोग से मुक्त है तो महाप्रभु हमें कृष्ण प्रेम प्रदान करेंगे

इसलिए, यदि हम भगवान चैतन्य महाप्रभु का प्रेम पाना चाहते हैं तो हमें सरल हृदय होना चाहिए और कृष्ण के पवित्र नामों से प्रेम करना चाहिए।

हम देखते हैं कि हरिदास ठाकुर के पास कोई भौतिक ऐश्वर्य नहीं था, उनके पास कोई उच्च शिक्षा नहीं थी और कोई राजनीतिक शक्ति नहीं थी, फिर भी उन्हें महाप्रभु की कृपा प्राप्त हुई।

हरिदास ठाकुर सरल हृदय के थे, विनम्र थे और उनका कोई छिपा हुआ उद्देश्य नहीं था। उनका कोई दोहरा चरित्र नहीं था और वे हमेशा कृष्ण के नाम जप में लीन रहते थे। हरिदास ठाकुर के इन गुणों ने श्री चैतन्य महाप्रभु को आकर्षित किया और उन्होंने उन्हें कृष्ण प्रेम प्रदान किया। साथ ही उन्हें नामाचार्य की उपाधि भी दी।

यदि विनम्रता और सरलता से हम चैतन्य महाप्रभु की शरण ग्रहण करते हैं तो हमें भी चैतन्य महाप्रभु की कृपा प्राप्त होगी।

हमें कोई भौतिक इच्छाएं नहीं रखनी चाहिए। यदि इच्छाएं हों तब भी हमें इसे अनदेखा करना चाहिए और इसके बारे में सोचने की कोशिश नहीं करनी चाहिए, खासकर जब हम कृष्ण के नाम का जप कर रहे हों।

ऐसा इसलिए है क्योंकि जब हम जप करते हैं तो मन में जो कुछ भी होता है वह प्रकट हो जाता है। तो, अगर हमारी भौतिक इच्छाएँ हैं तो वे इच्छाएँ पूरी हो जाएँगी लेकिन यह हमें कृष्ण से दूर ले जाएँगी ।

हमेशा चैतन्य महाप्रभु की शरण में रहें

हमें हमेशा विनम्र रहना चाहिए। और कई बार बिना अपमान के हम विनम्र नहीं बनते। उदाहरण के लिए केशव कश्मीरी को अपनी विद्वता पर बहुत गर्व था लेकिन जब वह चैतन्य महाप्रभु से हार गए तो वे विनम्र हो गए और महाप्रभु के चरण कमलों पर गिर पड़े। जब हम प्रणाम करते हैं तो यह हमारी विनम्रता को दर्शाता है और यह हमारे अहंकार को जला देता है।

चैतन्य महाप्रभु इस दुनिया में हमारे अभिमान और इस भौतिक दुनिया से हमारे कष्टदायक लगाव को नष्ट करने के लिए प्रकट हुए।

तो, आइए हम सब भगवान चैतन्य महाप्रभु की शरण में रहें और उनके पवित्र नामों का निरंतर जप करें।

नोट: यह लेख परम पूज्य भक्ति धीर दामोदर स्वामी महाराज द्वारा दिए गए श्रीमद भागवतम व्याख्यान पर आधारित है, जो उन्होंने इस्कॉन न्यूटाउन कोलकाता, भारत में दिया था।

Why did Prahlada pray for freedom from all material desires?

Prahlada could have asked anything but why did he pray to Lord Narasimhadeva to free his heart of all material desires. Lord Narasimhadeva had appeared for his pleasure, so, Prahlada could have easily asked for all material pleasures. But Prahlada who was just five years old was intelligent enough to understand that all material pleasures ultimately give great pain.

Many think that all powerful Lord Narasimhadeva whose nails are like sharp edged swords, appeared in this world to kill the demon, Hiranyakasipu. This can be one of the reasons. But the most important reason why Lord Narasimhadeva appeared was to bestow unlimited mercy upon Prahlada and to make Prahlada’s life glorious.   

This pastime of the Lord gives us great hope. We hope that a day will come when, like little Prahlada, we will at least get little mercy of Lord Narasimhadeva. But unlike Prahlada, our desires are not spiritual. We hope the Lord will merciful fulfil our material desires.

Are we visiting temple for right reason?

On the appearance day of Lord Narasimhadeva i.e. Narasimha Chaturdashi, we fervently pray to the Lord for his favor. So, we see that on that day, people in large numbers flock to Lord Narasimhadeva temple and wait with bated breath for the door of the temple to open. Is it because we want to see the Lord? It can be one of the reasons but may not be the main reason.

Why?

Because Lord Narasimhadeva is there in the temple 365 days of the year. But people think themselves too busy to go to the temple. So, now the original question, why do people go to temple on some important festivals like Narasimha Chaturdashi.

People flock to temple on auspicious days because scriptures say that on the day of festivals, Lord is extra merciful. Just like on a rainy day, sky bathes mother earth with unlimited quantity of water, similarly on the day of festivals like Narasimha Chaturdashi, Lord profusely distributes his mercy. 

So, lesser mortals like you and me think that Lord Narasimhadeva will be kind to us on the day he appeared. He will bless us, and his blessings will make sure that all the impediments which are coming in our way to actualize our cherished material goals will be destroyed. Once the obstacles are gone, material goals can be easily achieved.

And once we attain material success, we will attain happiness too. And then we will dance in delight like a child who after lots of crying gets a lollipop in his hand.

What if Lord refuses to fulfil our material desires?

Now, what if Lord does not fulfil our desires? He says, “You come to me, have my darshan but I will not give you anything in return.” In that situation, will we go to temple? Many of us will not then feel motivated to visit the Lord in the temple even on festival days.

Because, whatever we do in this world, we also want to find out, “What is there in it for me?”  As long as Lord is fulfilling our desires, we think God is Great. And if he refuses to be our yes man then immediately, we sideline him from our life.

So, if we analyse our life carefully then we will find that we do not generally go to temple because we have love for the Lord. We go there because we have love for ourselves. Almost all the time we think about ourselves, and we want the Lord to fulfil all our worldly desires.

We are self-obsessed. Always, we want something from the Lord. We rarely come to temple to give something to the Lord without expecting anything in return. Many businessmen give money to be used in the service of the Lord. This is good.

But in the back of their mind, they think that if we give Rs 1000 to the Lord then in return he will give us 10 times or maybe 100 times more.

Lord may give us. It is not difficult for him to make us rich. But this is not love. This is business. Just like when we invest in a mutual fund, we calculate how much return we will get. Similarly, when we invest money in the service of the Lord, we think how much return we will get.

Burden of material desires

We always think about our pleasure, but have we ever thought what pleases the Lord?

If we reflect on the life of pure devotees, we will see that they never asked for anything from the Lord. They always thought about the Lord’s satisfaction, not their personal satisfaction.

Let us see what exalted devotee Prahlada, who always meditated on the beautiful form of the Lord and his holy names, asked when Lord Narasimhadeva appeared in front of him.

Although Lord Narasimhadeva had killed the tyrant, Hiranyaskasipu, who had terrorized the universe he was still angry. But when the Lord saw little Prahlada who always thought well of others, he was so pleased. Looking into the innocent eyes of Prahlada, the Supreme Lord immediately said, “You ask for anything and I am ready to give.”

Now, suppose that if Lord showing compassion upon us appears in front of us and says the same thing, “I will fulfil all your desires, you just ask it.” We will immediately note down all our wishes neatly on a piece of paper and will start reading to the Lord.

Writing is important so that we may not forget anything to ask. And since our desires are unlimited, I am not sure how many reams of papers we will need to jot down our desires.

But Prahlada was not like us. He did not carry the burden of material desires in his heart. His tender heart was pure. Standing in front of Lord Narasimhadeva, Prahlada’s heart was filled with delight.

When material life ends, spiritual life begins

Folding his hands reverentially, Prahlada first bowed down unto the lotus feet of Lord Narasimhadeva and then he humbly said, “My dear most merciful Lord, my only desire is to not have any material desire. Please free my heart from all material desires.” 

“O my Lord, best of the givers of benediction, if You at all want to bestow a desirable benediction upon me, then I pray from Your Lordship that within the core of my heart there be no material desires.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 7.10.7

All the assembled great personalities like Mother Lakshmi, Lord Shiva and Parvati, Brahmaji and his spiritual master, Narada Muni, were so happy to hear this prayer of Prahlada.

Material desires are the root cause of our suffering. Almost always, our mind keeps on contemplating on material desires. And also keeps on planning how to fulfil those.

Once we free ourselves from the shackles of these unholy thoughts, our material life will end, and spiritual life will begin i.e. miseries will end and happiness will begin.  

Prahlada had asked the Lord to fulfil his desire which will free him from all present and future miseries. It will free him from the repeated cycle of birth and death. And most importantly, it will open the door of the spiritual world for him.

Desire to serve the Lord frees us from painful material desires

Hearing this desire of Prahlada, Lord Narasimhadeva who had decorated himself with the blood-soaked intestine of Hiranyakasipu became happy. The ferocious Lord had a big smile on his face.

The Supreme Lord said, “..the glories of your activities will be sung in the upper planetary systems, and being fully freed from all bondage, you will return home, back to Godhead.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.10.13

Hope a day will come when, like Prahlada, we will always think of the pleasure of the Lord. We will again and again pray to the Lord to free our heart and mind of all material desires and fill it with the desire to always serve the Lord without any ulterior motive.

When our heart blossoms with the desire to serve the Lord, painful material desires disappear.

Lord Jagannath comes to shower his mercy and takes us back to his spiritual abode

Lord Jagannath who is none other than Krishna has appeared in this world to shower his mercy upon us and take us back to his spiritual abode.

With every rising and setting of the sun, our life span reduces by a day. The invisible death constantly follows us like a shadow. We are slowly but surely marching towards the graveyard. But like an ostrich we refuse to accept this reality.

So, Krishna comes to this world again and again to jog our memory that we are not eternally condemned to again and again die in this world in different bodily suits. He says, rather emphatically, that we should return back to his kingdom where we do not have to die and can live forever free from all physical and mental sufferings. 

“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.” Bhagavad Gita 8.16

Lord Jagannath is merciful to even the stubborn souls

But we the stubborn souls of this world like crooked Duryodhana laugh at his sagely advice. Nevertheless, Krishna does not give up. Although we resist his advances, he keeps trying.

Although we forcibly refuse to reciprocate with his benevolence, he is unwilling to leave us. So that we do not remain deprived of his grace, he appears in this world as deity in the temple. And he gives us an opportunity to associate with him because the deity of Krishna is non-different from Krishna. 

But still there are obstinate souls who refuse to reciprocate with this mercy of Krishna. They won’t visit temple either because they do not believe in God or are indifferent to him. But the merciful Lord, does not leave them to languish in this world.

Definition of Rath Yatra?

For such reluctant souls, he comes out of his temple once in every year to shower his blessings upon them.  Krishna coming out of his own abode as Lord Jagannath to bless the unfortunate souls and shower mercy is celebrated as Rath Yatra festival throughout the world.

In Jagannath Puri Dham, the famous Rath Yatra festival is celebrated and by the great grace of Jagannath’s dear devotee, Srila Prabhupada, today the Rath Yatra festival is celebrated throughout the world. 

So, now not only the fortunate residents of Puri get the mercy of Lord Jagannath but people all over the world has become blessed because Jagannath’s mercy is showering upon them.  

Having forgotten our relationship with Lord Jagannath we suffer

Having been living away from the Lord for uncountable number of years, we have got disconnected from the Lord who always desire to be with us.

Lord Jagannath comes under the blue sky once a year looking for the wandering souls on the path of self-destruction.  The only hope for a person struggling for existence in the marshy land is to tightly hold a rope thrown to him and without offering any resistance, allowing himself to be pulled out from there.

We are also stuck in this world and are being dragged into an ocean of misery. Although, we try hard to rescue ourselves from insurmountable sufferings but fail again and again. In fact, the more we try to solve our problems through material means the more we get caught up in this material world.

This material energy not just punishes us but also puts us in ignorance. And so, although we suffer here, many times we fail to understand that we are suffering.

Indra as a hog refuses to become the king of heaven

Once Indra, the king of heaven, was cursed by his spiritual master, Brihaspati, to become a hog in this material world. So, he became a hog here. But soon he got attached to the hog body and began thinking that he is a happy hog.

So, when Brahma came to take him back to heaven, he refused to go. He said, “Why should I go somewhere else? I am enjoying my life here. I have a beautiful wife, lovely children and yellow food is always available for all of us.” Brahma was flabbergasted. He forcibly took him back. 

Our condition is not much different. Although we wear the suit made of blood, mucus, urine and stool, we do not feel disgusted. Instead, we explore all avenue to be happy here. 

In a prison, even the best prisoner is a prisoner and is governed by prison laws. Similarly, in this world the best materialist is also a prisoner in this material world and is bound by the laws of material nature. And we all the prisoners are condemned to suffer and die here again and again. 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, “The conditioned soul, however, is always covered by ignorance and embarrassed by the threefold miseries of life. Thus he is a treasure-house of all kinds of tribulations”: Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 18.114

Lord Jagannath’s mystical rope is there to rescue us

Lord Jagannath, the Universal father, knows our pathetic condition. He feels pain when he sees us in pain. So, he comes riding his majestic chariot and with his broad eyes desperately looks for us. Lord Jagannath is so keen to shower his mercy upon each one of us.

Seeing us stuck in the material ocean, he throws his mystical gigantic ropes amongst us inviting us to hold it tightly.  He invites everyone. There is no discrimination.

As a son does not need any material qualification to get the love of his father. Similarly, to get the mercy of Lord Jagannath there is no material qualification or designation required. Men, women, children, rich, poor, black, white, Hindus, non-Hindus, Indians, non-Indians all are welcomed.   

One can easily notice the big smile which Jagannath has on his face as soon as one holds the rope which is tied to the gigantic chariot. The Lord assures us that holding the rope and chanting his names we can cross over the ocean of material existence.

As we pull the mystical rope, the distance between Lord Jagannath and us gradually starts decreasing.  And if we continue holding the rope with faith, with love and keep on calling his name again and again then the distance disappears, and the beautiful Lord appears in our heart.

As soon as we get shelter of Jagannath who is the saviour of the suffering souls, we get freedom from all miseries including the misery of repeated cycle of birth and death.  

Lord Jagannath’s earnest invitation

Lord Jagannath loves us. He cares for us. So, he tries his best to save us from the painful material life.

In this world, no matter how best we try but we cannot be happy because the laws of material nature are not just stringent but also cruel. She will never allow us to be peaceful here. In this world, there is danger at every step.

Miseries enter into our life without any invitation. So, we should unhesitatingly accept Lord Jagannath’s invitation. Lord Jagannath comes out of his sanctum sanctorum to shower his mercy upon us and earnestly invite us to join him in his spiritual abode.

You & Me are eternally part and parcel of Krishna

In Bhagavad Gita 14.4, Lord Krishna, who is the seed giving father of all, says that we are eternally his part and parcel. So, we belong to Krishna and not this material world.

Just like, spark is part and parcel of fire, so it has all the attributes of fire, but it is not fire. Similarly, since we are the part and parcel of Krishna, we also possess qualities similar to him but in minute quantity.

When spark gets separated from fire then it loses all its fiery quality and becomes an ash in no time. Similarly, we exhibit qualities like Krishna when we are with the Supreme Lord Krishna. We experience completeness when we remain connected to him. But when we disassociate from the Lord, we lose our divine attributes. We feel incomplete and every moment struggle with our life.

If we look around this world, we find that anything which separates from the complete whole gets annihilated eventually. 

Why to unite with Krishna?

For example, if a leaf decides to separate from a tree, then it flutters by the gush of the wind before falling into the dust.

But when a leaf remains with the tree, it gets proper nourishment and has a healthy life.

We too remain happy as long as we remain connected with the complete whole i.e. with the Supreme Lord who is the source of our sustenance and maintenance.

But since we are now separated from him we are being tossed up and down, left and right by the material energy. This is the reason that we are never at peace. And how can we be happy if we do not have peace?

Krishna asserts in Bhagavad Gita that we are suffering because we have broken our bond with him.

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental part. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” Bhagavad Gita 15.7

So, Krishna in Bhagavad Gita asks us to understand that we are his part and parcel. So, we should endeavour to reunite with him, and experience fullness. Establishing relationship with Krishna is not so difficult. In fact, as soon as we start nurturing relationship with Krishna, he takes the onus of bringing us back to him.

But unfortunately developing relationship with Krishna is many times not our top priority. We busy ourselves in refining our material life and put God aside.

Mayavadis says, “Why to unite with God when we are God!”

Now, what to speak of our unwillingness to develop relationship with Krishna there are certain school of thought (eg Mayavada) which even refuse to accept that we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Why?

Because according to them they themselves are God and not Krishna or his plenary expansions are the Supreme Lord. According to them every Tom, Dick and Harry can become God. So, what is the need of worshipping Krishna as God. They claim that they are no less than any incarnations of God revealed in the Vedic scriptures.

Can God be under the control of material laws?

Now the question one may ask them is, “If you are God then why you are under the control of the laws of nature and not its master?” They say, “Because of the influence of the illusory material energy we have forgotten that we are God and so we are not able to exhibit the power of creation, maintenance and destruction like God. But by following certain religious practices prescribed in the scriptures, we will regain our lost glory and become God and will then act like God.”

Is it not a juvenile argument? God is the creator of the material energy then how can he come under its control. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that the material energy works under his direction and not vice versa.

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

Can you exhibit any potency of God?

Followers of Mayavada doctrine say that once they renounce material life and start contemplating and acting like God then they will become God. With this in mind Mayavadis take sannyas and then start addressing each other as “Narayana” because they think that they have become God, Narayana.

Such philosophy is condemned in the scriptures and by great acharyas. Mayavadis say that by performing some religious practices they can become God. But Krishna did not do anything to become God.

He did not do any meditation or performed any austerity before exhibiting his prowess.

Krishna killed Putana when he was few days old. He killed many other powerful demons during his childhood days. He lifted Govardhan hill with the little finger of his left hand continuously for seven days and seven nights when he was mere seven years old.

When little Krishna, opened his mouth then mother Yashoda saw many universes with different planetary systems in his mouth.

Can any elevated mayavadi sannyasi do any such miracle? Can anyone of them show even a tiny asteroid in their mouth? Or can they lift even one kg of stone with any of their fingers and keep it in that position for even half a day.

Now if they are saying that they have not yet attained perfection, then can we conclude that even after practicing mayavad for several years there has not been a single practicing mayavadi who can exhibit even a fraction of potency of Krishna who performed these miracles when he was just a baby?

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu strong condemns Mayavadis

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is an incarnation of Lord Krishna in this age of Kaliyuga clearly says that no living entities can ever become God and if anyone even thinks of becoming God then he will invite the wrath of Yamaraj.

“A living entity and the Absolute Personality of Godhead are never to be considered equal, just as a fragmental spark can never be considered the original flame.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 18.113

“A foolish person who says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the same as the living entity is an atheist, and he becomes subject to punishment by the superintendent of death, Yamarāja.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 18.115

Envy is the reason why we refuse to accept God as God

Mayavadis have a desire to become God and it’s not surprising because desire to become God is not new. Scriptures are full of stories of demons who wanted to become God. Hianyakasipu thought of killing Lord Vishnu and becoming God.

Ravana wanted to defeat Lord Rama and marry Sita. Kamsa wanted to kill Krishna and become immortal. In the present age also there have been tyrannical rulers who wanted to be worshipped as God.

Almost all of us who are trying to enjoy in this material world cannot tolerate God’s greatness. Our heart burns with envy when we see the opulence of Lord. We cry in agony when we hear devotees praising him with beautiful prayers. We immediately think, “Why should Krishna get all the glory? Why not me?”

Till the time we maintain this mindset we will remain away from God and away from the pleasures of life. We envy Krishna only because we do not have friendly relationship with him.

Give up envy to reconnect with Krishna

When we read various pastimes of Krishna, we see that how he always remained surrounded by so many devotees. And Krishna lovingly reciprocates with each and every one.

Krishna has loving exchanges even with cows, monkeys and peacocks in Vrindavan. No one feels left out. And with Krishna everyone feels complete.

Everyone’s heart gets satiated. Being part and parcel of Krishna, we should not deprive ourselves of the loving exchanges which Krishna has with his beloved devotees.

We have to realize that Krishna is our best friend, best well-wisher and we are his part and parcel. And to salvage our life we should reconnect with him.

Spark can re-gain its fiery quality when it re-unites with fire. Similarly, we can regain our spiritual identity only when we re-unite with the Supreme Lord who is described as purnam (perfect and complete) in Isopanisad. 

The best way to re-unite with Lord is by offering our love to him. And the simplest way to offer our love to the most lovable Lord is by chanting his all – auspicious holy names like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.

जब बच्चे कृष्णभावनामृत में आनंद पाते हैं, तो वे आसानी से बुरी आदतों को छोड़ देते हैं

जब बच्चे कृष्णभावनामृत कृष्ण भावनामृत में आनंद का अनुभव करने लगते हैं, तो वे आसानी से उन गतिविधियों को छोड़ देते हैं जो उनके स्वस्थ और सुखी जीवन के लिए अच्छा नहीं है। बच्चों की अच्छी देखभाल करना महत्वपूर्ण है क्योंकि बच्चे माता-पिता के लिए और दुनिया के लिए भी भगवान का उपहार हैं।

लेकिन अगर माता-पिता बच्चों को सही मार्गदर्शन नहीं देते हैं तो इस बात की पूरी संभावना है कि वे बुरी आदतों में शामिल होंगे।

श्रील प्रभुपाद हमेशा चाहते थे कि बच्चों की अच्छी देखभाल की जाए। उन्हें बच्चों से बहुत लगाव था। हमने वीडियो और तस्वीरें देखी हैं जहां प्रभुपाद बच्चों से घिरे हुए हैं, और वह उन्हें मिठाई बांट रहे हैं।

बच्चों की देखभाल एक महत्वपूर्ण सेवा है

श्रील प्रभुपाद अपने एक शिष्य को पत्र में लिखते हैं कि बच्चों की देखभाल करना एक महान सेवा है।

“मुझे यह जानकर बहुत खुशी हुई कि चंद्रमुखी को उसके जीवन की शुरुआत से ही कृष्णभावनामृत प्राप्त हो रहा है। यह उसके पिछले जीवन की कृष्ण भक्ति के कारण है। कृपया अपने बच्चों की देखभाल करें और उन्हें पूरी तरह से कृष्णभावनामृत बनाएं। यह बहुत अच्छी सेवा है।” नंदरानी को पत्र – टिटेनहर्स्ट 30 सितंबर, 1969

इस्कॉन में माता-पिता श्रील प्रभुपाद के दिशानिर्देशों का पालन करते हुए अपने बच्चों की देखभाल करते हैं। वे यह सुनिश्चित करते हैं कि बच्चों की शारीरिक, मानसिक और भावनात्मक जरूरतों का ठीक से ध्यान रखा जाए। और वे अपने बच्चों को कृष्ण की भक्ति करने के लिए भी प्रेरित करते हैं।

यह समझना होगा कि बच्चों को कृष्ण का भक्त बनने के लिए न तो मजबूर किया जाता है और न ही फुसलाया जाता है। लेकिन जब बच्चे व्यक्तिगत रूप से कृष्णभावनामृत गतिविधियों में आनंद का अनुभव करने लगते हैं तो वे कृष्ण के भक्त बन जाते हैं।

माता-पिता यह भी सुनिश्चित करते हैं कि बच्चों में जो भी प्रतिभाएँ हैं, उनका उपयोग कृष्ण की सेवा में किया जाए।

कृष्ण की कई तरह से सेवा की जा सकती है – नृत्य, नाटक, गीत, संगीत, कला, शिल्प, लेखन आदि के माध्यम से। बच्चों में पहले से ही ये प्रतिभाएँ हो सकती हैं और यदि नहीं हैं तो उन्हें जल्दी से सीखने के लिए प्रेरित किया जा सकता है।

इस्कॉन में त्योहारों और सांस्कृतिक कार्यक्रमों के दौरान हम देखते हैं कि बच्चे बड़ी संख्या में भाग लेते हैं और अपनी प्रतिभा का प्रदर्शन करते हैं।

लेकिन अगर बच्चों को ये सकारात्मक जुड़ाव नहीं मिलता है, तो वे अन्य गतिविधियों में शामिल होंगे जो हानिकारक हो सकता है।

जब माता–पिता के पास समय नहीं होता है तो बच्चे बुरी आदतें अपना लेते हैं

आजकल माता-पिता व्यस्त रहते हैं इसलिए उनके पास अपने बच्चों के लिए समय नहीं होता है। इसलिए वे बच्चों को व्यस्त रखने के लिए मोबाइल थमाते हैं। उन्हें इस बात का एहसास नहीं है कि यह छोटा सा इलेक्ट्रॉनिक उपकरण अगर बुद्धि के साथ इस्तेमाल नहीं किया गया तो एक फ्रेंकस्टीन राक्षस में बदल सकता है।

बच्चों को मोबाइल की लत लगने के कई उदाहरण हैं और माता-पिता को इससे निपटने में मुश्किलों का सामना करना पड़ता है।

उत्तर प्रदेश के बरेली जिले में एक तीन साल के बच्चे का बिस्तर गीला करने का मामला सामने आया है। जांच करने पर डॉक्टर ने पाया कि बच्चा अपने मोबाइल फोन का इतना आदी था कि वह बाथरूम भी नहीं जाता था।

वह रोजाना लगभग आठ घंटे कार्टून – डोरेमोन और मोटू पतलू – देखने में बिताता था। उसने यह आदत विकसित की क्योंकि उसकी माँ उसे व्यस्त रखने के लिए मोबाइल फोन देती थी ताकि वह शांति से घर का काम कर सके।

बरेली अस्पताल के डॉक्टरों ने कहा कि यह बच्चा अकेला नहीं है जो हमेशा मोबाइल से जुड़ा रहता है. अस्पताल को कुछ महीनों में 10 से 18 वर्ष के बच्चों और किशोरों के 39 मामले मिले, जो अब केवल आभासी (वर्चुअल) दुनिया में रहना पसंद करते हैं।

वे ऑनलाइन गेम खेलने, कार्टून देखने या सोशल मीडिया पर चैट करने में घंटों बिताते हैं। डॉक्टरों का कहना है कि माता-पिता को दोष देना चाहिए क्योंकि वे ही अपने बच्चे को साइबर दुनिया के सामने लाते हैं।

डॉक्टर बच्चों की बुरी आदतों के लिए माता–पिता को जिम्मेदार ठहराते हैं

अस्पताल के मनोचिकित्सक डॉ. आशीष कुमार ने टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया को बताया, “ज्यादातर मामलों में यह बात सामने आई है कि माता-पिता अपने बच्चों को कम उम्र में ही मोबाइल दे देते हैं ताकि बच्चों को व्यस्त रखा जा सके ताकि उनका खुद का काम प्रभावित न हो। यही आगे चलकर बच्चों में लत और बुरे व्यवहार का कारण बनता है।”

बच्चों को समय की जरूरत होती है और कई माता-पिता इन दिनों अपने काम में व्यस्त रहते हैं, इसलिए वे अपने बच्चे को ज्यादा समय नहीं दे पाते हैं। बच्चों को व्यस्त रखने के लिए वे उन्हें वीडियो गेम खेलने या कार्टून देखने के लिए मोबाइल देते हैं। जब बच्चे घर पर होते हैं तो गैर कामकाजी माताएं अपने बच्चों के साथ समय बिताने के बजाय पसंदीदा टीवी सीरियल देखना पसंद करती हैं।

फोन पर ज्यादा समय बिताने वाले बच्चे अपनी पढ़ाई और नींद को भी नजरअंदाज करने लगते हैं। वे अंततः आभासी (वर्चुअल) दुनिया में रहना शुरू कर देते हैं और अपने जीवन की तुलना सोशल मीडिया पर मिलने वाले लोगों से करने लगते हैं।

यह बेहद जरूरी है कि बच्चों को बढ़ने के लिए स्वस्थ माहौल मिले। बच्चे की देखभाल करना माता-पिता का सबसे महत्वपूर्ण जिम्मेदारी है।

बच्चों की देखभाल करना भगवान की पूजा से ज्यादा जरूरी है

एक बार जब श्रील प्रभुपाद को पता चला कि उनकी एक महिला शिष्या अपने बच्चे की ठीक से देखभाल नहीं कर रही है, तो उन्होंने तुरंत उन्हें एक पत्र लिखा कि उनके लिए अपने बच्चे की देखभाल करना भगवान की पूजा करने से अधिक महत्वपूर्ण है।

“आपके लिए, बाल-पूजा, भगवान-पूजा से अधिक महत्वपूर्ण है। यदि आप उसके साथ समय नहीं बिता सकते हैं, तो पुजारी के कर्तव्यों को छोड़ दें। कम से कम आपको अपने बेटे की चार साल की उम्र तक अच्छी तरह से देखभाल करनी चाहिए, और यदि उस समय के बाद आप उसकी देखभाल करने में सक्षम नहीं हो, तो मैं उसकी देखभाल करूँगा। ये बच्चे हमें कृष्ण द्वारा दिए गए हैं, वे वैष्णव हैं और हमें उनकी रक्षा के लिए बहुत सावधान रहना चाहिए। ये सामान्य बच्चे नहीं हैं, ये वैकुंठ के बच्चे हैं, और हम बहुत भाग्यशाली हैं कि हम उन्हें कृष्णभावनामृत में आगे बढ़ने का मौका दे सकते हैं। यह बहुत बड़ी जिम्मेदारी है, इसकी उपेक्षा न करें या भ्रमित न हों। आपका कर्तव्य बहुत स्पष्ट है।“ अरुंधति को पत्र-एम्सटर्डम 30 जुलाई 1972

श्रील प्रभुपाद ने इस्कॉन की सभी माताओं और पिताओं के लिए एक मानक निर्धारित किया है – अपने बच्चे की देखभाल करना आपकी सबसे महत्वपूर्ण जिम्मेदारी है। और यह केवल इस्कॉन के भक्तों पर ही लागू नहीं होता है बल्कि वास्तव में यह सुनिश्चित करना प्रत्येक माता-पिता का कर्तव्य है कि बच्चे हमेशा सकारात्मक गतिविधियों में लगे रहें।

इस्कॉन बच्चों के सुखी और स्वस्थ जीवन के लिए कार्यक्रम आयोजित करता है

समाज की जरूरतों को समझते हुए इस्कॉन ने विशेष रूप से बच्चों के लिए कई कार्यक्रम शुरू किए हैं। इन सभी कार्यक्रमों का उद्देश्य बच्चों को एक स्वस्थ वातावरण में बढ़ने में मदद करना है ताकि वे अपनी वास्तविक क्षमता का एहसास कर सकें और एक सफल, खुशहाल और मूल्य आधारित जीवन जी सकें। ये कार्यक्रम यह भी सुनिश्चित करते हैं कि बच्चे कृष्णभावनामृत का आनंद लेना शुरू कर दें

इस्कॉन श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता प्रश्नोत्तरी (क्विज) का आयोजन करता है जिसमें कई स्कूल भाग लेते हैं। इसके साथ ही उनके लिए साप्ताहिक कार्यक्रम होते हैं और त्योहारों के दौरान कई सांस्कृतिक कार्यक्रम होते हैं जिनमें कई बच्चे उत्साह से भाग लेते हैं।

ये कार्यक्रम पूरी दुनिया में कई इस्कॉन केंद्रों पर सफलतापूर्वक चल रहे हैं। इस्कॉन न्यू टाउन कोलकाता भी बच्चों के लिए कार्यक्रम आयोजित करता है और कई माता-पिता अपने बच्चों को ऐसे ज्ञानवर्धक कार्यक्रमों में दाखिला दिलाने में दिलचस्पी दिखा रहे हैं।

और इन कार्यक्रमों में भाग लेने से बच्चे कृष्णभावनामृत में आनंद का अनुभव करने लगते हैं और बुरी आदतें नहीं अपनाते हैं।

When children find joy in Krishna Consciousness, they give up habits which are unhealthy

When children begin experiencing joy in Krishna Consciousness, they easily give up any activity which is not good for their healthy and happy life.  Taking good care of children is important because children is God’s gift to the parents and also to the world.

But if the parents are neglectful and do not give proper guidance to the little ones then there is great possibility that they will indulge in self-destructive habits.

Srila Prabhupada always wanted that children should be given best care. He was very fond of children. We have seen videos and pictures where Prabhupada is surrounded by kids, and he is distributing sweets to them.

Taking care of children an important service

In a letter to his disciple Srila Prabhupada writes that taking care of children is a great service. “I am so glad to learn that Candramukhi is getting Krishna Consciousness from the very beginning of her life. This is the advantage of her previous life’s advancement in Krishna Consciousness. Please take care of your children and make them perfectly Krishna Conscious. That is very great service.”  Letter to Nandarani — Tittenhurst 30 September, 1969

Devotee parents in Iskcon following the guidelines of Srila Prabhupada give lots of love and care to their child.  They make sure that children’s physical, mental and emotional needs are taken care properly. And they also inspire their kids to practice devotion to Krishna and also ensure that their children experience joy in Krishna Consciousness. .

It has to be understood that children are neither forced nor coaxed to become a devotee of Krishna. But when they start personally experiencing joy in Krishna Conscious activities they become a devotee of Krishna.  

Parents also make sure that whatever natural talents kids are having is used in the service of Krishna. 

Krishna can be served in many ways – through dance, drama, song, music, art, craft, poetry, prose and so on. Children may already have these gifts and if not then they can quickly be inspired to learn them.

In Iskcon during festivals and cultural programs we see children participating in large numbers and showcasing their talents.

But if children do not get these positive engagements, then they will surely find some other means of engagement which is many times harmful.  

Children pick unhealthy habits when parents have no time to them

These days since parents are busy so they do not have time for their kids. So, in order to keep the kids busy they hand them mobile. They do not realize that this little electronic device if not handled with intelligence can turn into a Frankenstein monster.

There are many examples of children getting addicted to mobile and parents face a tough time to deal with them.

There was a case of a three-year-old child in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh who was suffering from bed wetting. Upon examining, the doctor found that the child was so addicted to his mobile phone that he did not even go to bathroom.

He spent almost eight hours daily watching cartoons – Doraemon and Motu Patlu.  He developed this habit because his mother used to give him mobile phone to keep him busy while she did her household chores.

The doctors at the Bareilly hospital said that the child is not alone who is always hooked to mobile. The hospital received 39 cases in couple of months of children and adolescent between the age group of 10 to 18 who now only prefer to live in the virtual world. 

They spend hours playing online games, watching cartoons or chatting on social media.  The doctors say that the parents are to be blamed because it is they who expose their child to the cyber world.

Doctors blame parents for children’s harmful habits

Dr Ashish Kumar, a psychiatrist at the hospital, told TOI, “In majority of the cases, it came to light that parents provide mobile to their children at an early age to keep the kids busy so that their own work is not affected. This later becomes a cause of addiction and bad behaviour among children.”

Children needs time and many parents these days are busy in their work, so they do not give much time to their child. To keep children busy, they give them mobile to play video games or watch cartoons. When children are at home then non-working mothers prefer watching their favourite TV serials than spending time with their children.  

Children who spend long hours on phone start neglecting their studies and also sleep. They eventually start living in the virtual world and start comparing their lives with the people they meet on social media.

It is extremely important that children get a healthy atmosphere to grow. Taking care of the child is the most important responsibility of a parent.

Taking care of child more important than deity worship

Once when Srila Prabhupada came to know that one of his female disciples is not properly taking care of her child then he immediately wrote her a letter saying that for her taking care of her child is more important than doing deity worship.

 “For you, child-worship is more important than deity-worship. If you cannot spend time with him, then stop the duties of pujari. At least you must take good care of your son until he is four years old, and if after that time you are unable any more to take care of him then I shall take care. These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is very great responsibility, do not neglect it or be confused. Your duty is very clear.” Letter to Arundhati — Amsterdam 30 July, 1972

Srila Prabhupada has set a standard for all the mothers and fathers of Iskcon – Taking care of your child is your most important responsibility. And this is not only applicable to Iskcon devotees but in fact it is the duty of each and every parent to make sure that children have healthy engagements for their overall healthy growth.

Iskcon’s children program for happy and healthy living

Understanding the need of the society Iskcon has come up with programs especially for children. The purpose of all these programs is to help the child grow in a healthy atmosphere so that they can realize their true potential and lead a successful, happy and value based happy life.

Iskcon organises quiz based on scriptures like Bhagavad Gita in which many schools participate. Along with this there are weekly programs for them and during festivals there are many cultural programs in which several kids participate enthusiastically.

The programs have been successfully going on at many Iskcon centres all over the world. Iskcon New Town Kolkata also organizes program for the kids and many parents are showing keen interest in enrolling their kids for such enlightening programs.

And by participating in these programs children begin experiencing joy in Krishna Consciousness and easily give up habits which are unhealthy.

मैं भगवान राम से उनके चरण कमलों की शरण माँगता हूँ

हे भगवान राम, रामनवमी के इस शुभ अवसर पर, मैं आपके चरण कमलों की शरण माँगता हूँ। आपके चरण कमल इस संसार की सभी बद्ध आत्माओं का एकमात्र आश्रय हैं जो इस संसार में कठिन संघर्ष कर रहे हैं। लेकिन आश्चर्य की बात यह है कि आपकी माया से आच्छादित होने के कारण अधिकांश लोगों को पता ही नहीं चलता कि वे पीड़ित हैं।

औरों की तो क्या बात, मैं स्वयं पीड़ित होते हुए भी सोचता हूँ कि मैं पीड़ित नहीं हूँ। और वास्तव में, हे भगवान राम, मैं अभी भी अपने दिल में एक आशा रखता हूँ कि मैं इस दुनिया में खुश रह सकता हूँ।

एक बेबस जिंदगी

मेरी हालत कसाई की चाकू के नीचे जीने के लिए संघर्ष कर रहे एक बेबस मुर्गे की तरह है। मैं देखता हूं कि कई जगहों पर दर्जनों मुर्गियां को एक छोटे से लोहे के पिंजरे में बंद कर दिया जाता है और कसाई द्वारा मांस के रूप में बेचने के लिए दुकान पर ले जाया जाता है।

उनके पैर एक-दूसरे से और पिंजरे से बंधे होते हैं और वे ताजी हवा के लिए एक-दूसरे से संघर्ष करते हैं। बस यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कि मुर्गे बेचे जाने से पहले न मरें, व्यापारी उस जेल के अंदर कुछ अनाज और एक कटोरी पानी डाल देता है।

और बेचारे मुर्गे उन दानों को खाते हैं, पानी पीते हैं और इसे ही अपना जीवन मान लेते हैं। कत्लखाने में, वे अपनी आंखों के सामने देखते हैं की कैसे बेरहमी से उनके साथियों का सिर काट दिया जाता है।

लेकिन फिर भी मुर्गे को लगता है कि कल मैं बच गया था और आज भी बच जाऊंगाहूं। जब वह इस तरह उम्मीद कर रहा होता है तो कसाई अपना हाथ पिंजरे में डालता है, उसके पंखों को पकड़ता है और उसे पिंजरे से बाहर निकालता है। फिर वह वजन मापने के लिए मुर्गे को तौलने की मशीन पर रखता है ताकि खरीदार से उसे उचित मूल्य मिल सके। और फिर सिर काटने के लिए अपना चाकू उठा लेता है।

कसाई के हाथ में मुर्गा जीवन के लिए कठिन संघर्ष करता है, लेकिन न तो कसाई और न ही खरीदार उसपर कोई दया दिखाता है और आसपास के लोग भी कोई हमदर्दी नहीं दिखाते।

गलत उम्मीद

मेरी हालत बहुत अलग नहीं है। मैं हर पल देखता हूं कि लोग जीवित रहने के लिए संघर्ष करते हैं लेकिन फिर भी वे जीवित रहने में विफल रहते हैं। समय हमें किसी भी क्षण नीचे गिरा देता है। लेकिन फिर भी मुझे उम्मीद रहता है कि एक दिन ऐसा आएगा जब मैं यहां हमेशा खुशी से रहूंगा।

इस संसार में, मैं भौतिक प्रकृति की लहरों द्वारा लगातार ऊपर-नीचे उछाला जा रहा हूँ। मैं शारीरिक दर्द, भावनात्मक दर्द से गुजरता हूं। लोग मेरे साथ विश्वासघात करते हैं, मेरा अपमान करते हैं, लेकिन फिर भी मैं इस उम्मीद में रहता हूँ कि समय के साथ चीजें सामान्य हो जाएंगी। लेकिन सच्चाई यह है कि इस भौतिक दुनिया में सुख की उम्मीद करना रेगिस्तान में आम के रस की उम्मीद करने जैसा है।

इसलिए, मुझे यह समझने की आवश्यकता है कि अपने भले के लिए मुझे भौतिक जीवन से बाहर आना होगा और आध्यात्मिक जीवन अपनाना होगा। मुझे अब सच्चाई पता है। इसलिए, मैं अपने सभी भौतिक आसक्तियों को छोड़ना चाहता हूं और हमेशा के लिए आपके चरण कमलों से जुड़ना चाहता हूं।

मैं भगवान राम के चरण कमलों की शरण लेने में विफल रहता हूं

आपके चरण कमल ही मुझे सभी भौतिक दुखों से राहत दिला सकते हैं। प्रिय भगवान राम, मैं बस आपके चरण कमलों को पकड़ कर हमेशा वहां रहना चाहता हूं और शांति का अनुभव करना चाहता हूं। यदि मैं आपके चरण कमलों की शरण में रहूँ जो किसी भी मनोकामना को पूरा करता तो सभी मनोकामनाएँ पूरी होंगी।

परन्तु मेरी एक ही इच्छा है और वह है सदा आपके चरण कमलों की शरण में रहना। यदि आप मेरी यह इच्छा पूरी कर दें, तो मेरा जीवन सफल हो जाएगा। मैं सदा आपकी सेवा करूँगा और सदा सुखी रहूँगा।

मैं जानता हूँ कि जो कोई शुद्ध मन से आपके पास आता है, उसे आप आश्रय देते हो। लेकिन आपके चरण कमलों की शरण लेने की आवश्यकता जानने के बावजूद, मेरा हृदय जो अभी भी इस दुनिया की नश्वर वस्तुओं और नश्वर प्राणियों से जुड़ा हुआ है, मुझे अपना जीवन पूरी तरह से आपको समर्पित करने की अनुमति नहीं देता है।

मैं सभी भौतिक प्रेम को त्यागने के लिए कठिन प्रयास कर रहा हूँ लेकिन मैं ऐसा करने में सक्षम नहीं हूँ। मेरा मन और इंद्रियां जो असीमित भौतिक इच्छाओं से भरा है, मुझे इस दुनिया में पीड़ित होने के लिए मजबूर करत हैं। मैं क्या करुँ समझ नहीँ आता? मेरे पास इससे बाहर आने की क्षमता और ताकत नहीं है।

मैं बिल्कुल असहाय हूं। जिस प्रकार रावण ने माता सीता का हरण किया था, उसी प्रकार मेरे अनियंत्रित मन और इन्द्रियों ने मेरा अपहरण कर लिया है और मुझे इस भौतिक संसार तक सीमित कर दिया है ।

भवसागर को पार करने के लिए एक पुल का निर्माण करें

एक सीख जो माता सीता ने हमें सिखाई है वह यह है कि किसी भी स्थिति और परिस्थिति में कभी भी आपकी चरण कमलों को नहीं छोड़ना चाहिए। हालाँकि रावण ने सीता का अपहरण किया, धमकाया, प्रताड़ित करने की कोशिश की, आप में विश्वास खत्म करने की कोशिश की लेकिन सीता ने कभी आपकी शरण नहीं छोड़ी। माता सीता को पूरा विश्वास था कि आप उसे बचाने जरूर आओगे।

हनुमान और सुग्रीव के नेतृत्व में वानर योद्धाओं ने आपकी कृपा से लंका जाने के लिए समुद्र पर एक विशाल पुल का निर्माण किया। लंका में, आपने रावण और उसकी राक्षसों की दुष्ट सेना का विनाश किया और माता सीता को बचाया।

मेरे पास आपके पास आने की क्षमता नहीं है। जैसे आपने सीता तक पहुँचने के लिए एक पुल का निर्माण किया, कृपया करके एक पुल का निर्माण करें ताकि उस पर चल कर मैं तेजी से भवसागर को पार कर सकूँ और आपके चरण कमलों तक पहुँच सकूँ जो सभी दुखों से पूर्ण सुरक्षा प्रदान करता है।

मेरी भौतिक इच्छाओं को मार दें, आपके चरण कमलों का आश्रय कभी नहीं छोडूंगा

जिस तरह आपने रावण की असीमित सेना को मार डाला, उसी तरह आप मेरी असीमित भौतिक इच्छाओं को मार दें जो लगातार मुझे परेशान करते हैं। आपने रावण के हृदय में बाण मारकर उसका वध करके माता सीता को रावण की कैद से छुड़ाया था।

इसी तरह, अपना तीर मेरे हृदय में मारकर मेरी सभी भौतिक इच्छाओं को आप समाप्त कर दें जो मुझे आप से दूर रखता है।

और मेरे हृदय को आपकी सेवा  करने की इच्छाओं से भर दें। एक बार मेरा हृदय सभी अवांछित सांसारिक इच्छाओं से मुक्त हो जाएगा, तो मैं सभी दुखों से मुक्ति प्राप्त कर लूंगा।

और हे भगवान राम, एक बार जब मेरा हृदय आपके चरण कमलों की शरण में रहने की इच्छा से भर जाएगा तो मैं सदा सुखी रहूंगा और फिर मैं आपके चरण कमलों का आश्रय कभी नहीं छोडूंगा।

Begging Lord Rama for the shelter of his lotus feet

Dear Lord Rama, on this auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, I beg for the shelter of your lotus feet. Your lotus feet is the only shelter of all the conditioned souls of this world who are struggling hard in this world. But surprisingly because of being covered by your illusory energy most of the people do not even realize that they are suffering.

What to speak of others, I myself though suffering think that I am not suffering. And in fact, in spite of being beaten severely by the laws of material nature again and again I still carry a hope in my heart that I can be happy in this world.  

A helpless life

My condition is akin to a helpless chicken struggling for survival under the butcher’s knife.  I see at many places dozens of chickens are stuffed in a small iron cage and are carried by the butcher to the shop to be sold as meat.

Their legs are tied with each other and with the cage and they jostle with each other for fresh air. Just to make sure that the chickens do not die before being sold, the cruel businessman puts some grains and a bowl of water inside that prison.

And the poor and powerless chickens eat those grains and drink the water and consider it to be their life. In the slaughterhouse, in front of their eyes they see their fellow mates being picked one by one and butchered.

But still a chicken thinks that yesterday I survived and today I may survive too. When it is hoping in this way the butcher puts his hand in the cage, grabs it by its wings and pulls it out of the cage. Then he puts the chicken on the weighing machine to measure its weight so that he can get proper price from the buyer. And then picks up its knife to sever the head.

The chicken in the hand of the butcher struggles hard for life, but neither the butcher nor the buyer shows any mercy and the people around it too does not show any sympathy.

False hope

My condition is not very different. I see every moment people struggle for survival but still they fail to survive. The ruthless time can knock us down at any moment.  But still I hope that a day will come when I will live here happily forever.

In this world, I am being constantly tossed up and down by the miserably waves of the material nature. I go through physical pain, emotional pain. Fellow beings betray me, insults me but still I continue with my wretched material life hoping that things will become normal in due course of time. But the truth is that expecting happiness in this material world is like expecting fresh mango juice in a desert.

So, I need to understand that for my own good I have to come out of the miserable material life and take to spiritual life. I know the truth now. So, I want to give up all my material attachments and want to get attached to your lotus feet forever.

I fail to take shelter of lotus feet of Lord Rama

Your lotus feet can only provide relief to me from all material miseries.

Dear Lord Rama, I want to just grab your lotus feet and be there forever and experience peace. If I remain under the shelter of your lotus feet which can grant any wish then all my wishes will be fulfilled.

But I have only one wish and that is to always remain under the shelter of your lotus feet.  If you grant me this wish, then my life will be successful. I will serve you eternally and be happy forever.

I know that you give shelter to anyone who comes to you with pure heart. But in spite of knowing the necessity and urgency of taking shelter of your lotus feet my heart which is still attached to the mortal things and mortal beings of this world does not allow me to fully dedicate my life to you.

I am trying hard to give up all material love but I am not able to do so. My mind and senses are impregnated with unlimited material desires and it forces me to suffer in this world.  I am not sure what to do. Also, I do not have the capability and strength to come out of it.

I am utterly helpless. Just like the demon Ravana captured mother Sita, similarly I am also in the captivity of my uncontrolled mind and senses. And they have confined me to this material world. I know that you appeared in this world and performed wonderful pastime with your eternal consort, mother Sita, to teach us many invaluable lessons.

Build a bridge to cross over the ocean of material existence

And one of the lessons which Mother Sita taught us was to never leave your lotus feet in any situations and circumstances. Although Ravana kidnapped her, threatened her, tried to torture her, tried to destroy her faith in you but she never succumbed to it. With great patience, determination and faith that you will surely come to rescue her she continued with her devotion.

You empowered monkey warriors headed by Hanuman and Sugriva to build a humongous bridge on the ocean to go to Lanka. In Lanka, you annihilated Ravana and his evil army of demons for mother Sita.

I do not have the capability to come to you. Just like you built a formidable bridge to reach to your beloved Sita, please build a bridge so that travelling on it I can swiftly cross the ocean of material existence and reach to your lotus feet which provides complete protection from all miseries.

Kill my material desires & I will never leave your lotus feet

Just like you killed unlimited armies of Ravana, similarly, please kill unlimited material desires which like a ghost constantly give me unlimited anxiety. You rescued mother Sita from the captivity of demon Ravana by shooting an arrow in his heart and killing him.

Similarly, shoot your arrow in my heart and kill all my material attachments which is keeping me away from you. And also impregnate my heart with the desire to always serve you and always love you. 

Once my heart will attain freedom from all unwanted worldly desires, it will attain freedom from all miseries.

And once my heart is flooded with the desire to be constantly under the shelter of your lotus feet then I will attain complete perfection and will become eternally happy.

Dear Lord Rama, I will then never leave the shelter of your lotus feet.