Author: Purushottam Nitai Das

How prayāsaḥ spoils bhakti i.e. devotion to Krishna?

In Text 2 of Nectar of Instruction (Upadeshamrita), Srila Rupa Goswami writes that prayāsaḥ (over-endeavoring ) spoils bhakti i.e. devotion to Krishna.  Srila Prabhupada translates  prayāsaḥ as “over-endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain.”

Srila Prabhupada further writes in the purport of the verse, “The first step in human civilization consists of occupational engagements performed according to the scriptural injunctions.” And scriptures teach us not to get greedy for material gain but asks us to always work with proper consciousness.

How present-day society spoils our bhakti?

But sadly, present-day society teaches us to only focus on material achievement.

Since childhood we are taught to work extremely hard only for worldly success. “If you have a big bungalow, big car, big bank balance then you will enjoy unlimited happiness in this world.” Our mind is impregnated with this philosophy.

As soon as we see people who are rich or powerful or popular, we get attracted to them. Society calls them celebrities. They are called “celebrity” because everyone thinks that they are the ones who are celebrating their lives.

Since we too want to celebrate our lives, so we want to be like them. They become our role models. We think, “If we get name, fame, power, prestige, wealth like them we too can enjoy our lives.”

So, we spend all our time and energy in acquiring mundane things which spoils our bhakti.  We become desperate for material success. We start putting our best efforts for it. But it is not guaranteed that our efforts will bring desired results. Because working hard is in our hands but whether we will get success is not in our hands.

Just like a farmer can plough his fields to the best of his ability but whether it will rain or not is not in his hands.

There are higher authorities in this material creation who oversee what we should get and what we should not get. Our result is not based on the actions we perform in this life, but it is also based on our past life’s actions as well.

Can we fulfill all our dreams in this world?

And suppose that even if we get the expected result then that success will not remain with us forever. There will be someone who will outdo us one day. And most importantly death will take away everything from us. Whatever we accumulate will remain here only. We do not carry it to our next life.

In fact, it is not even guaranteed that in next life we will get a human body. If entire life is spent in gratifying animalistic pleasure of eating, sleeping, mating and defending then in next life we will get an animal body. It will be so unfortunate.

We live for 70 -80 years in this world. And because of ignorance we only focus on this life. We put all our time, energy and efforts to make this life better. There is nothing wrong in that. But should we also not think what will happen to us when we leave this body? What is going to be our future destination? The undeniable reality is that each and every one of us has to leave this world one day. A child may work hard to build a castle of sand near a seashore, but one whiff of wind will destroy all his endeavor. Similarly, we try to actualize all our dreams in this world, but the ruthless time can knock at our door anytime and force us to leave this world.  It is almost impossible to fulfill all our dreams in this world.

Have you thought about your future destination?

In this life too whatever little success we get, we need proper planning for that. If we fail to plan, we will have bleak future. Similarly, if we have not planned for our next life then our next destination could be too bad. The animals, the trees, the insects, the worms, the fish and other non-human species which we see in this world also once had human body but because of bad karma they are now having non-human bodies.

I do not think you will want to become an insect or worm or cockroach or crow or lizard or a hog or anything like that in next life. Neither will I want. Animal life means unlimited suffering.

In fact, all the efforts we do in this world is to ensure we lead a happy life. But if the actions which we are performing in this life is creating a bad destination in next life then we should be alarmed.

An intelligent person will not focus on things which are temporary and definitely not on activities which are sinful.

A wise man will focus on things which are permanent, and which will ensure better present and better future. Srila Prabhupada writes “Human life is meant for God realization, and the human being is given higher intelligence for this purpose.” Nectar of Instruction Text 2 Purport.

And what is that highest purpose. It is to free ourselves from material bondage and attain complete liberation. Complete liberation is only possible when we return back to the kingdom of God.

So the devotees of the lord do not waste their time in working hard for material things which are temporary and very difficult to obtain. But he works intelligently so that he has a better future destination.

Do devotees of Krishna do not work hard?

Does it mean that devotees do not work hard in this world? Definitely not. Once someone complained to Prabhupada that devotees of the Lord are lazy. Prabhupada immediately said that devotees are hard working. He said that two most famous war in the entire human civilization, Ramayana and Mahabharata, were fought by devotees. But they fought not for themselves but for the pleasure of the Lord.

The monkey warriors worked extremely hard for the pleasure of Lord Rama. They did not have any personal motive. Hanuman put his life on stake and went all alone to the enemy kingdom. He did it for Lord Rama. All the monkeys came together and worked extremely hard to build a bridge to Lanka. And without caring for themselves fought on behalf of Lord Rama.

Similarly, the Pandavas led by Arjuna fought for Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna wanted to establish dharma and Pandavas assisted Krishna in his mission. Pandavas as per the desire of Lord Krishna converted a barren land Khandavaprastha to Indraprastha which looked as beautiful as a paradise. Over endeavor to fulfill mission of the Lord brings glory and joy. But prayāsaḥ (over-endeavor) for material profit spoils bhakti i.e. devotion to Krishna.

How Srila Prabhupada was an ideal grihasta, householder?

If we study the lives of great devotees, we will find that they work harder than the materialistic people. Srila Prabhupada used to get up in the middle of the night and write books. Then in the morning he used to get into preaching activity. He hardly had time to sleep and he never cared for his own comfort. He was instructed by his spiritual master to spread the teachings of Lord Chaitanya all over the world. And he dedicated his entire life in fulfilling the instruction of his spiritual master.

Before taking sannyasa Srila Prabhupada was a householder, a grihasta. And as a grihasta, he did his work responsibly and intelligently. He owned a chemical factory. In today’s language we can say that he was an entrepreneur. He was quite well to do financially. He even owned a car. In pre-independence India to have a car is like having a helicopter today. But Srila Prabhupada worked in such a way that he had ample amount of time to practice devotional life. During his grihasta life also he used to regularly associate with the devotees. Whenever he got an opportunity he went and met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, his spiritual master. And financially also he helped the devotees to establish temples and in other preaching activities.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura – a judge, a writer, a preacher, a loving father, an ideal husband

Similarly, there is the example of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great devotee of Lord Krishna. He was judge by profession. And a great Vedic scholar. He used to do his duty efficiently. He used to go for his work on time and while in office he used to be completely focused on his work.

In the book “The Seventh Goswami” which is the biography of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, it is mentioned that his other colleagues took hours to decide a case in the court, but he used to do it in matter of minutes. So, the other judges of the court may be working for more number of hours but their output was less than that of Bhaktivinod Thakura. His judgement was always perfect.  Everyone would be satisfied. He did justice to his profession. His superior authorities were extremely happy with his work.

When he was posted in Jagannath Puri as magistrate he made sure that service to Lord Jagannath happens properly. There were complaints that proper bhoga (food) is not being offered to the Lord at right time. Bhaktivinod Thakura with the help of the temple priests set everything right as per the guidelines of the scriptures.

He handled sensitive cases intelligently. There were communal riots between Hindus and Muslims and the cases would come to him. He expertly handled such matters and tried his best to bring peace and communal harmony in the society.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura had ten children and a virtuous wife.  He took care of his household responsibilities and made sure that at his home there is spiritual culture and everyone serves Krishna and worships Krishna with love.  He made his home a temple of Lord Krishna.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura is the architect of present-day Krishna Consciousness movement

While taking care of his occupational duty and family responsibilities he made sure that he had sufficient time to practice devotion to Krishna. He wrote several spiritual literatures which were appreciated by many scholars. After the disappearance of great Vaisnava acharyas like Narottama Das Thakura, Shyamananda Pandit and Srinivas acharya there was no one to lead the Krishna Consciousness movement.

People had almost forgotten the teachings of Lord Chaitanya. Some unscrupulous people had misinterpreted the teachings of Lord Chaitanya and were misguiding people for their ulterior motives. Bhaktivinoda Thakura worked tirelessly to revive the original Krishna Consciousness movement started by Lord Chaitanya. He would actively and vigorously preach the teachings of Lord Chaitanya. In fact, he is the architect of the present-day Krishna Consciousness movement which has spread all over the world. 

Devotees work hard without giving up spiritual duties

So, we see that devotees work extremely hard. But they never give up their spiritual duties. They never compromise with their spiritual life. There work is not for material positions and possessions and not for name, fame and money. They work as per the scriptural injunctions and most importantly for the pleasure of the Lord.

Our work should bring us closer to Krishna. But if we over endeavour (prayāsa) for mundane things we will always be miserable because material things are difficult to get. And even if we get after hard labour it won’t satisfy our hearts. It will also take away all our time and energy and we will hardly have time to practice spirituality.

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.9) Srila Suta Gosvami says that our occupational engagement should free us from material bondage. We should not work hard for sense gratification because it will entangle us in this world.

dharmasya hy āpavargyasya
nārtho ’rthāyopakalpate
nārthasya dharmaikāntasya
kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.9)

“All occupational engagements [dharma] are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service [dharma] should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.”

Devotees endeavor (prayāsa) is not for material gain but for spiritual gain

We should do our worldly duties to the best of our capability and with sincerity. And we should also do our work smartly, and in a responsible way. But we should not compromise with our spiritual life. If we study the lives of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura and Srila Prabhupada then we will get to know how to work in this world efficiently and not get entangled.

Prayāsaḥ for material things spoils bhakti i.e. devotion to Krishna. Srila Prabhupada cautions us, “If our endeavor (prayāsa) is not to inquire about the Absolute Truth, we will simply increase our endeavor to satisfy our artificial needs. A spiritual aspirant should avoid mundane endeavor.” Nectar of Instruction Text 2 Purport.

So as devotees our endeavor (prayāsa) should not be for material gain which is temporary but for spiritual gain which is everlasting.

Quiz on Vedic Yuga Cycle

How much are you aware about the Vedic Yuga Cycle? Attempt this “Quiz on Vedic Yuga Cycle” and test your knowledge about the different yugas.

It is important that we have good understanding of the Vedic scriptures. Vedas are the words of God. So, if we know the Vedas we will know how to live in harmony with God. We will always be peaceful and happy in this world. And when we leave this world, we will have a better destination.

What were people’s life duration in different Vedic yugas?

There are 4 Yugas mentioned in the Vedas – Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga. In Satya–yuga people lived for around one hundred thousand years. Treta-yuga follows Satya-yuga. In Treta–yuga people’s life duration was ten thousand years. After Treta-yuga comes Dvāpara-yuga. In Dvapara yuga people used to live for one thousand years. Kali-yuga comes after Dvāpara-yuga. In Kali – yuga people live maximum for 100 years. But as Kali-yuga progresses people’s life span further reduces. The present age in which we are living is Kali-yuga.

Scriptures explain that in Satya-yuga almost all the people are God conscious. They are virtuous and have many good qualities like honesty, truthfulness, kindness. But as the Vedic Yuga cycle progresses people’s virtuous quality start diminishing. People become more materialistic and less God Conscious. Their life span, memory and intelligence also start reducing.

What are the Yuga Dharma for self realization in different yugas?

In different Vedic yugas different processes are there for self- realization. This is called Yuga Dharma. In Satya-yuga the recommended process is meditation on the transcendental form of Lord Vishnu. During Treta-yuga people performed yagnas i.e. fire sacrifices. In Dvāpara-yuga people do elaborate deity worship to attain self-realization. And in Kali-yuga the Yuga Dharma is chanting the holy names of the Supreme Lord such as the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. By chanting this maha-mantra we can attain complete perfection.

The “Quiz on Vedic Yuga Cycle” will help you to know in detail about different Vedic yugas. All the best!

How atyāhāraḥ will destroy your bhakti?

Srila Rupa Goswami in Nectar of Instruction or Upadeshamrita Text 2 writes that there are six activities which have the potential to destroy our bhakti i.e. devotion to Krishna and atyāhāraḥ is one such activity.

In this article we will discuss how atyāhāraḥ can destroy our spiritual life and how to give up atyāhāraḥ.

Srila Prabhupada gives two meaning to the word atyāhāraḥ

1. Eating more than necessary
2. Collecting more funds than required

How overeating (atyāhāraḥ) destroys our bhakti?

Overeating or Overaccumulation:  If we overeat and are not regulated in our eating habits then it will spoil our devotional life.  In devotional life it is important that we regulate our material senses and engage it in a systematic way in the service of Krishna.  Krishna in Bhagavad Gita has underlined the importance of regulating one’s eating habit.

नात्यश्न‍तस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्न‍त: ।
न चातिस्वप्‍नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ॥ १६ ॥

Bhagavad Gita 6.16 Sanskrit Verse

nāty-aśnatas tu yogo ’sti
na caikāntam anaśnataḥ
na cāti-svapna-śīlasya
jāgrato naiva cārjuna

Bhagavad Gita 6.16 Verse

Translation

There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogī, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough. Bhagavad Gita 6.16

Our mind and senses control us now. So, when our mind asks us to overeat, we eat a lot. When our mind instructs us to not eat, we don’t eat. We always look for palatable food to satisfy our tongue and belly. They drive us crazy. But tongue and belly should not control us and compel us to overeat. Overeating makes us lazy, obese and become the cause of so many diseases.

Even in material life too those who want to become successful regulate their eating habits. They even give up their favourite food items if it is not good for their health. In one interview Virat Kohli, the captain of Indian Cricket Team said that if given an opportunity he would like to eat chole bhature but he has given it up because it will spoil his health.

Develop the habit of saying ‘no’ when mind asks you to overeat

During our spiritual journey too, we have to give up overeating. Initially we will face difficulty in resisting temptation of the food items we like but if we start making conscious efforts then we will succeed.  For example, if we have fondness for pineapple cake and if someone brings it in front of us then it will require tremendous amount of determination to say no to it.  Most of the time we end up eating and later regretting.  

So, next time when mind asks us to overeat then with determination we should say no to the mind. Initially mind will rebel and put forth all logic to convince us to overeat, but we should not give in to our mind’s demand.  We should develop the habit of saying no to the demands of our mind.

In one of the lectures HG Radheshyam Prabhu, President Iskcon Pune, was saying that devotees get lots of mahaprasad and throughout the day they keep on eating varieties of sweet items. Devotees think that since its mahaprasad so we should eat a lot. But Prabhuji said that it is not required. We should definitely respect mahaprasad and honour it. But we should take little amount of it and distribute rest to others.

During earlier days in Pune temple, the bhoga (food) which was offered to the deities was only available to brahmacharis. But once one brahmachari said to HG Radheshyam Prabhu that you talk about controlling the tongue but lots of mahaprasad is available in the ashram and we all are enjoying it. From that day onwards it was decided that there will be special mahaprasadam counter and it will be available to congregation devotees and to public. HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj once said that devotees should learn how to remain thin from HG Radheshyam Prabhu. He is in charge of all mahaprasad of the temple but still he is thin. In one congregational program one senior congregation devotee said, “We are of the same age but we look old but Radheshyam Prabhu still looks young.”  

If we seriously grow in our spiritual life, then we should control our eating habits.

Great spiritual personalities taught us regulation

Once Srila Prabhupada offered sweets to an elderly person. The elderly person expressed his inability to eat the sweets. He said that during his younger days he liked sweets a lot and so he used to eat lots of sweets. It spoiled his teeth and now he has been advised to give up sweet items. Srila Prabhupada smiled and said, “I also liked sweets a lot, but I ate it in a regulated way.” If we study the life of great acharyas we find that they have been extremely cautious about their eating habits. They never overeat. The ate simple food. Raghunath Das Goswami took only few drops of milk a day.

Regulation is the key. Scriptures do not ask us to give up eating. It asks us to give up overeating. In the first verse of Nectar of Instruction too Srila Rupa Goswami underlines the importance of controlling the urges of tongue and belly. And again, in the second verse he is highlighting the danger of overeating.  So, we have to make conscious effort to give up overeating and give up the desire for eating tasty food.  By this we can understand that to advance in our spiritual life, it is extremely important that we control our eating habits.

How overaccumulation (atyāhāraḥ) of funds destroy our bhakti?

Srila Prabhupada also translates atyāhāraḥ as collecting more funds than required. Here Srila Prabhupada is not saying that “collecting funds” is wrong. He is saying “collecting more funds than required” is wrong. It is because it makes us greedy. And we spend all our time and energy in earning money.  No doubt money is required to take care of our life’s necessities, but we should not get obsessed with it.

In this world we fear future, we feel insecure and money apparently gives us a feeling of security. We assume that if we have bigger bank balance, we will have a better future. And so, we spend all our time and energy in earning money.

Along with that we hoard lots of things which we may not even require. Some people become shopaholic i.e. they become addicted to shopping. They buy things which they do not need in their life. Some people go for window shopping. They do not buy anything, but they look at goods which are displayed at shop windows.  It’s a big wastage of time. In my personal life also, I have seen that many things we buy but we do not even use it. I have few dresses which I bought couple of years back and have not even wore it.

Material things and big bank balance gives us a false sense of security. But if we use our intelligence and look around the world, we see that money or material things does not guarantee happiness. And definitely not immortality. We see that even the wealthiest person gets depressed, take sleeping pills and unfortunately some even commit suicide.

And no matter how much we accumulate all these stuffs are going to remain here only. We are not going to take it with us during our final journey.

Despite all the wealth Alexander failed to save himself from death  

There is a story of Alexander the Great.  He was on his death bed. Some say he was suffering from malaria and he got malaria during his quest to India.  At that time there was no cure for malaria.  He was desperate to save his life. He thought may be the doctors are treating him half – heartedly so he is not getting cured. Let me speak to the doctors. Let me offer some attractive proposals to them, it will motivate them to put maximum efforts in his treatment.  

He called the doctors and told them, “If you all cure me of this disease, I will give you 25% of my wealth.” The assembled doctors who were experts and had come from far of places said, “We are trying our best but as of now there is no cure for your disease, so we are helpless.”  Alexander thought may be 25% is not enough. He increased his offer, “I will give you 50% of my wealth.”  The doctors again said we are trying our best.  Alexander then helplessly said, “I will give you 75% of my wealth.”  The doctors finally said, “Even if you give us 100% of your wealth and your entire kingdom, still we won’t be able to save you.”

Alexander understood he cannot bribe the agents of death by his wealth. And at the time of death all his wealth will remain here only. He won’t be allowed to carry even a penny.

Alexander’s death teaches us an invaluable lesson

So, it is said that he had ordered his minsters that during his funeral procession his hand should be kept out of the coffin so that people could see that the conqueror of the world who had unlimited wealth is leaving this world with an empty hand. He also said that his many beautiful queens and mighty soldiers should be there in his death procession. Alexander wanted to send a message that although he had many beautiful wives and worldly conquering soldiers, but none were able to save him. He died all alone, none of them accompanied him. These stories should be an eye opener. It teaches us an invaluable lesson.

So, instead of focussing on temporary we should focus on permanence. We should not get obsessed with money and with worldly pleasures. These temporary things are not going to be with us forever.

Instead, we should focus on things which are eternal. The allurements of this world will distract us but if we should not deviate from our eternal goal. Our ultimate goal is to attain Krishna and whatever activities we do in our life should be dovetailed in such a way that it takes us towards Krishna.

Offering results of our work to Krishna frees us from material bondage

Anything in this world we do it should be an offering to Krishna. This is what Krishna asks us to do.

यत्करोषि यदश्न‍ासि यज्ज‍ुहोषि ददासि यत् ।
यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम् ॥ २७ ॥

Bhagavad Gita 9.27 Sanskrit Verse

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam

Bhagavad Gita 9.27 Verse

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform – do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me. Bhagavad Gita 9.27

If we work hard to gratify our senses, we suffer but if we act to satisfy Krishna, we experience satisfaction. If our activities are as per the guidelines of the scriptures and if we offer the results of our actions to Krishna, we will attain Krishna.  Such work frees us from all material bondage and opens the door to kingdom of God.

By giving up atyāhāraḥ we free ourselves from material entanglement

To attain Krishna, it is important we spend sufficient time in practicing devotion to him. We should chant minimum 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra daily, follow four regulative principles, worship Krishna in his deity form, read books like Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, hear lectures of Srila Prabhupada and other senior devotees who inspire us.

These spiritual activities remove ignorance from our life which is the root cause of all our miseries. Because of ignorance we consider this world as a permanent place to live. We consider relationship of this world as permanent and get too attached to people of this world. All these causes immense suffering.  But once we start practicing Krishna consciousness, we get enlightened. We understand our true self.

We understand, “I am a soul currently entrapped in this material body. I am part and parcel of Krishna. I have eternal relationship with Krishna. The purpose of my life should be to reunite with Krishna in the spiritual world. And for that I need to sincerely and seriously practice devotion to Krishna.” With this intelligence if we start working in this world then our life will be successful.

So, it is important that we should not get carried away by our material desires. Instead, we should live as per the rules and regulations of the scriptures. Great spiritual personalities advent in this world time and again to teach us how to purify our life.

In Nectar of Instruction or Upadeshamrita Text 2 Srila Rupa Goswami is asking us to give up atyāhāraḥ because it will take us away from Krishna and destroy bhakti. But if we give up atyāhāraḥ and lead a simple life, we will not get entangled in this world. We will also have sufficient time to practice devotion to Krishna and perfect our life.

Quiz on Soul

“You are not this body, but you are soul.” Vedic scriptures again and again remind us about this. So, test your knowledge about the soul by taking this “quiz on soul.” Bhagavad Gita beautifully describes the different characteristics of the soul.

In fact, when Arjuna was bewildered at the battlefield of Kurukshetra then the first thing  which Krishna told to Arjuna was that “You are not this body but you are soul.”

As soul we never die. We just keep on changing our bodies. Now we are in a human body. Among human beings also we might be in a male body or female body, in a Hindu body or a Muslim body or a Christian body. In previous life we might be in a different body. We might be even in an animal body.

And if in this human form of life we are not careful and we do not follow the teachings of the Vedic scriptures then in next life we will get an animal body. If we live like animals, then material nature which works under the direction of Krishna will give us an animal body.

So, it is very important that we understand our constitutional position. If we understand that we are parts and parcels of Krishna, the Supreme Lord, and we endeavour to develop relationship with Krishna then we can even return back to the spiritual world which is free from repeated birth, old age, disease and death and is free from all physical and mental sufferings.

Human form of life is an opportunity to free ourselves from the material bondage and enjoy eternal bliss in company of Krishna in the spiritual world.

So, let us equip ourselves with the knowledge of the scriptures and lead our life as per the teachings of scriptures. It will open the gateway of eternal happiness.

Do attempt this quiz on soul, its interesting and informative. All the best!

Why Krishna is called Govinda?

Lord Krishna is also called as Lord Govinda. Brahma Samhita says “govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.” It means “I worship Govinda the primeval Lord, the first progenitor.”

We may wonder why Krishna is called Govinda. Krishna has many names. In fact, he has hundreds and millions of names. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu confirms this in his Siksastakam prayers.

“namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-shaktis
tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrishi tava kripa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrisham ihajani nanuragaha”

“O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krsna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.”

These holy names have immense potency. These names purify our hearts and bestow upon us love of Krishna.

3 reasons why Krishna is called Govinda

Let us understand why Krishna is called Govinda. There are three reasons why Krishna is called Govinda. The word “go” has three meanings. “go” means cows, “go” means senses and “go” means land. And the word “vinda” means pleasure giving. So, the word Govinda means:

• One who gives pleasure to the cows
• One who gives pleasure to the senses
• One who gives pleasure to the land

Krishna gives pleasure to the cows

We see that Krishna gives unlimited pleasure to the cows. Krishna is also called Gopala because he takes care of the cows. Cows in association with Krishna experiences lots of happiness.

Krishna gives pleasure to the senses

Similarly, Krishna gives pleasure to our senses. When we engage our senses in the service of Krishna, we experience unlimited bliss. This is the reason that the devotees of Lord enjoy unlimited happiness because they engage all their senses 24hours in a day in the service of Krishna.

Krishna gives pleasure to the land

Krishna protects the land and also gives pleasure to the land. The land of Vraja, Govardhan Hill, Dwarka or Mathura remain always joyful because they get association of Krishna. Since they have taken shelter of Krishna’s lotus feet, they experience complete perfection.

Srila Prabhupada explains:

“Govinda is another name of Kṛṣṇa. Go means cows and go means land and go means senses. There are three meanings of go. So… And vinda means pleasure-giving. So, He gives pleasure to the senses, He gives pleasure to the cows, and He gives pleasure to the land.” Lecture Excerpt — Montreal, June 29, 1968

70th Vyasa Puja Celebration of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj

This year we are celebrating 70^th Vyasa Puja of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. Maharaj has been playing a very significant role in sharing the teachings of Vedic literatures all the over the planet.

He lives for Krishna and loves to give Krishna to others. He follows the teaching of Srila Prabhupada, his spiritual master, as it is and never compromises with any principles. And like Srila Prabhupada he has deep compassion for all the living beings.

It is because of his selfless love and genuine desire that he has been able to transform the lives of thousands of people all over the world.

He not just preaches by his words, but he also preaches by his actions.

We can learn so many lessons from Maharaj’s life. Here I am sharing some of the incidents from his life which is so inspiring.

Maharaj wins the heart of a person who disliked him

Once Maharaj was invited to speak in a temple program. Many well-wishers and donors were invited for the program.  Maharaj took one bhajan of Bhaktivinoda Thakura and started giving class based on its teachings. He said that how people have so much greed for material wealth. How people work like donkey hoping that they can enjoy the world.

One of the donors who was attending the program got upset. He left the class immediately in an angry mood. He did not hear the complete lecture. The organizers of the program came to know about it.

After the class, devotees informed Maharaj what happened. Maharaj smiled. He jokingly said, “I thought everyone likes my class. But here is someone who did not like my class. Give me his phone number, I will speak to him.” Maharaj called up the person. The donor was surprised. He had never expected a call from Maharaj.

Maharaj Seeks Forgiveness

Maharaj sought forgiveness from him for hurting his feelings. Maharaj then said that whatever I spoke were not my words. But were the words of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great Vaisnava saint and scholar. I was just repeating his teachings. Maharaj started speaking about the glories of Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

He informed the donor as how Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a judicial magistrate. He was an expert in his profession that everyone respected him. He wrote many books which are appreciated by many intellectuals. Along with that Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a great devotee of Krishna and played a pivotal role in spreading the teachings of Lord Chaitanya.

Maharaj again sought forgiveness from him. The call ended!

Maharaj inspires the donor to chant the names of Krishna

The donor immediately rushed to the temple to meet Maharaj. But Maharaj had left the city for another program. The donor requested the devotees in the temple to inform him when Maharaj returns. So, when Maharaj returned back to the city the devotees informed the donor. He immediately came to the temple.

Maharaj was sitting in temple hall and chanting. Devotees told him to go and meet Maharaj. He went and begged forgiveness from Maharaj for his attitude and for misunderstanding his lecture.  

He said, “Please give me some punishment. I want to do atonement.”

Maharaj smiled and said, “For that you should chant one round of Hare Krishna Mahamantra.”

He immediately agreed. Devotees gave him beads and he chanted one round. After chanting he informed Maharaj that he completed his one round. Maharaj then said that you should daily chant one round of maha-mantra. He agreed.

From that day onwards, he chanted daily. And slowly from one round he came to sixteen rounds. He later took initiation from Maharaj and became Maharaj’s disciple.

Maharaj won the heart of the person who had initially disliked him by his exemplary behavior.

Maharaj by his humility, gentleness and politeness won his heart. Most of us would have criticized him or would have ignored him. And he would never returned back to Iskcon. He would have never become a devotee. But because of Maharaj’s compassion he became a devotee.

Through this example Maharaj is teaching us what should be the proper behavior of a devotee of Krishna.

He has the quality of a Uttama Adhikari

Maharaj never sees bad in others & never criticizes others

In Nectar Of Instruction, Text 5, Srila Rupa Goswami explains that a pure devotee of Krishna is always engaged in undeviated devotional service and his heart is completely devoid of propensity to criticize others.

This quality we see in Maharaj. Maharaj never sees bad in others. He always sees good in others. And Maharaj extends himself to a great extent to give Krishna to others.

He is very personal in his dealings. He always respects others’ feelings and sentiments. He is our best well-wisher.

Maharaj preaches by his actions

He preaches by his words and also by his actions. What attracts people is not philosophy but the conduct of a person. We may recite all the 700 verses of Bhagavad Gita. We may expertly explain the meaning of these verses. We may sing nice kirtans. All these things will enthrall people, no doubt.  But it may not transform them.

But our one act of kindness, one word of love will completely change the heart of a person. This quality we see in Maharaj.  It is because of Maharaj’s loving and caring attitude that he has been able to preach to thousands of people all over the world.

His humility and simplicity and desire to serve selflessly attracts the hearts of so many people. This is the reason why thousands of people love Maharaj so much.

Maharaj knows the language of the heart.

In his Journey Home book Maharaj writes about the interaction which he had with many wonderful people. And many times, those with whom Maharaj met did not know English and as far as I know Maharaj does not speak Hindi. I have never heard him speaking in Hindi or any other Indian languages. But Maharaj was able to communicate with all.

Language has never been a barrier for Maharaj to establish relationship with others!

Maharaj has very intimate friends in Vrindavan. He has lived in Vrindavan. He loves the Vrajvasis and they love him. But most of the Vrajvasis with whom Maharaj has good relationship do not know English. And Maharaj do not know the language of the Vraja.

So, it is surprising that how Maharaj has such a wonderful relationship with those fortunate residents of Vrindavan.  Vrajavasis are simple hearted devotees of Krishna. They see Maharaj’s unconditional and unmotivated love for them.

Always eager to serve the Vrajvasis

Maharaj is always eager to serve the vrajvasis.  Once one vrajvasi came to Radha Gopinath temple in Mumbai. Maharaj was so happy to see him. He made all the arrangements for his stay. He made sure that he gets proper prasadam.  Then Maharaj went to his room.

Suddenly Maharaj got up at around 1 am in the night. He called for the devotee who was asked to take care of the Vrajvasi. The devotee was surprised. “What is so urgent, Maharaj?”

Maharaj said, “The room given to the Vrajvasi has western toilet and it will be difficult for him to use that toilet in the morning.  Out of humility he won’t share his problem. He won’t be able to come for the morning program.”

He further said, “Make arrangement for him so that in the morning he is able to use Indian toilet. But it should be done in such a way that he is not disturbed now. When he gets up then someone should be there to guide him.”  The arrangements were made accordingly.

This shows how Maharaj’s caring nature. He takes care of even the smallest need of a person.

Maharaj is a visionary

Maharaj has played a pivotal role in establishing the iconic Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai. HG Bisswaroop Prabhu, one of the founding members of the hospital, was once saying that as young doctors they all could have established their individual clinic or hospitals. And they could been successful too.

But Maharaj told them that if they work independently then they will get individual success but if they come together and do things together, they will create history.

Inspired by Maharaj, the young doctors decided to give up the lure of working in big hospitals or establishing their private practice. But they decided to come together and serve together for a higher cause. And today the hospital they established is one of the famous hospitals in Mumbai.

Bhaktivedanta hospital is not just a regular hospital where people get treatment for their physical illness. But it is a spiritual care center. People not just get medicine for their physical suffering but most importantly they get medicine of the holy names which can alleviate all the sufferings forever.

Patients and their family members are given spiritual education, they are inspired to chant the holy names of Krishna and everyone gets prasadam. The hospital staff members take deities of Lord Jagannath on a mobile cart to every patient in the evening so that they get blessings of the Lord. And it is not that only Hindu patients come to the hospital. Many non-Hindus come, and they appreciate the service there.

Preaching by the doctors of the hospital

Devotee doctors along with other members of the hospitals have preached to thousands of people who come to the hospital. It is said that every year around 365 people who visit the hospital become devotees who start chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra.  So, every day one person becomes devotee and begins chanting 16 rounds of maha-mantra. An extraordinary achievement!

Once when I had gone to the hospital for a program then during a presentation the hospital authorities told us about incidents when patients have left their body in a devotional atmosphere.

A dying man is encouraged to chant the names of Krishna

One incident was of a man whom the doctors said had just few minutes left. His wife and doctors helped him to chant the holy names of Krishna at the last moment.  They showed us a picture in which his wife was helping him to hold the chanting beads and was encouraging him to chant at the last moment o his life.  This is the best way to serve the society.

Under the guidance of Maharaj, the doctors of Bhaktivedanta hospital serve the Vrajvasis free of cost. Free eye camps, free dental camps and other initiatives are taken by the doctors in the holy dham of Vrindavan.

Maharaj teaches us how to love and serve Krishna selflessly

Maharaj always emphasize that we should practice devotion to Krishna with utmost sincerity and without any ulterior motives. When I was getting initiation from Maharaj then during the initiation lecture, he said that as devotees we should always be away from any kind of politics.

“Do not get involved in any politics. Have no desire for name, fame, power and position. Your only desire should be to practice Krishna consciousness sincerely and serve all selflessly.”

This is the mood of Maharaj. And we all should try to imbibe this mood.

Maharaj is following the footsteps of Srila Prabhupada. Today he is one of the most prominent spiritual teachers. He is also the author of two best sellers – “The Journey Home” and “The Journey Within.”

If we want to transform our lives, then we should hear his lectures which is widely available on YouTube. If we want to know about Maharaj’s spiritual journey then we should read “The Journey Home”, his autobiography. This book has sold thousands of copies all over the world. It has been translated into many languages. It is New York Times best seller. Maharaj’s another book “The Journey Within” teaches us how to change our inner self and lead a Krishna conscious meaningful life.

This human life is extremely precious because it gives us an opportunity to free ourselves from all the sufferings. And most importantly provides an opportunity to return back to the kingdom of Krishna, Goloka Vrindavan.

If we remain under the shelter of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj, follow his teachings sincerely our journey to the kingdom of Krishna will be smooth and pleasurable. In fact, every moment we will experience the presence of Krishna in our hearts.

On the auspicious occasion of Maharaj’s 70^th Vyasa Puja, I pray at his lotus feet to shower his mercy upon me so that I continue chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra sincerely and follow the four regulative principles of no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication and no illicit sex. And I should engage every moment of my life in serving the mission of Lord Chaitanya and Srila Prabhupada without any selfish desire. 

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How devotees of Krishna celebrate New Year?

Devotees of Krishna celebrate New Year in a Krishna conscious way. They welcome New Year by chanting the holy names of Krishna.  On the New Year day, the first activity they do is that they visit temple to take darshan of the Lord.

The darshan of the Lord opens at 4:30 am in most of the Iskcon temples of the world. Hundreds of devotees congregate early in the morning on 1^st January in the temple. They want to begin their New Year by seeing the most beautiful form of Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani. 

Devotional activities in the morning of New Year

With the blow of the conch shell, ringing of the bell and with the loud chant of Hare Krishna the curtain of the altar opens exactly at 4:30 am. Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani appears in front of the assembled devotees.

Everyone bows down and pay obeisances to the Lord. In the heart everyone prays to Krishna and Radha to shower their mercy upon them. They pray to the divine couple so that in this New Year they always remain under their divine shelter.

Mangala Arati begins. Everyone participates. They sing, they dance, and they pray.

After Mangala Arati devotees take part in Narasimha Arati. They pray to Lord Narasimha Dev to remove all the obstacles from their devotional life.

Then there is Tulasi Arati. Devotees bow down to Tulasi Maharani and say the following prayer

            “I offer my repeated obeiances to Vrinda, Srimati Tulasi Devi, who is very dear to Lord Keshava (Krishna). O goddess, you bestow devotional service to Lord Krishna and possess the highest truth.”

Tulasi is very dear to Krishna. She is an intimate associate of Krishna and always engaged in serving Krishna. So, devotees pray to Tulasi Maharani to engage them in the service of Krishna.

Chanting, hearing & enjoying prasadam in New Year

After morning arati devotees sit down in the temple to chant the Hare Krishna maha – mantra. Many new people who come to the temple also participate in chanting the holy names of Krishna.

Devotees also attend Srimad Bhagavatam class.

And everyone enjoys delicious Krishna prasadam on the New Year day.

At home too devotees celebrate New Year in a devotional way

The devotees who are not able to come to temple organize special program at their homes. 

This year because of Coronavirus many devotees won’t be able to go to temple. But everyone will celebrate New Year at their homes in a Krishna conscious way. The activities will remain the same. They will sing Mangala arati, Narasimha arati, Tulasi arati, chant the Hare Krishna maha – mantra, read Srimad Bhagavatam and will honour Krishna prasadam.

For the devotees New Year begins with chanting, dancing and enjoying delicious Krishna prasadam. It is the best way to celebrate New Year.

Krishna conscious spiritual programs on the eve of New Year

On the eve of New Year also, many spiritual programs are organized in the temple.  Even congregation devotees arrange devotional programs at their homes and invite other devotees.

Nagar Sankirtan in Pune on the eve of New Year

I remember in Pune HH Loknath Swami Maharaj used to organize nagar sankirtan on 31^st Dec night. We were in colleges and every one of us used to be excited to participate in the nagar sankirtan. We used to sing and dance on the way while chanting the names of Krishna. Firecrackers were lit. Of course, the firecrackers were ecofriendly. So, while chanting the names of Krishna we used to welcome New Year. 

While we used to sing and chant the holy names of Krishna, we used to see many people in restaurants & pub celebrating New Year. They used to drink liquor, smoke cigarettes, eat nonveg, listen to movie songs. Materialistic people’s idea of celebration ultimately leads them to the path of degradation.

But devotees’ idea of celebration is to do everything as per the guidelines of the scriptures. They always keep Krishna in the centre. So, all activities become spiritual. It helps us to advance in spiritual life.

Spiritual picnic on the eve of New Year at Iskcon New Town, Kolkata

Devotees even organize picnic on 31^st December. In Iskcon New Town Kolkata temple for last couple of years spiritual picnic is being organized. Devotees come together and cook together. Many devotees use their culinary skills to prepare different varieties of food for the Lord.  For children games are organized. There is bonfire. Spiritual songs are sung. Special delicacies are prepared and offered to the Lord. And later the offered prasadam is served to all. Its festive atmosphere.

You might be wondering why devotees of Krishna celebrate New Year according to Gregorian calendar.

Why devotees of Krishna celebrate New Year?

It is true that the Vedic calendar is different from Gregorian calendar. So, our New Year does not begin on Jan 1st. For Gaudiya Vaisnavas, New Year begins from the day of Gaur Purnima i.e. the appearance day of Lord Chaitanya.

However, the beauty of Krishna Consciousness is that whatever be the occasion it can be used to grow in spiritual life.

In one of the classes HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj explains that Iskcon organizes New Year programs so that devotees do not have to explore other avenues to celebrate.  And the festivity even attracts new people who can later become devotees of Krishna.

In fact, for a devotee of Krishna, every day is a day of celebration.

Srila Prabhupada says that for a devotee of Krishna every day is a New Year.

Srila Prabhupada: Our Every Day is a New Year

During a morning walk Srila Prabhupada said,  “Well, our every day is a New Year. Nava-navayauvana. Our Krishna consciousness is so nice, the more you advance, you see new year, new year. That’s all. Nothing is old. People are seeing that they are simply chanting the old slogan, Hare Krishna. But we are feeling new pleasure in every moment. Take any other chanting, you cannot chant more than few hours. But the Hare Krishna mantra we can chant perpetually. So, unless there is new enlightenment, how we can do that?”  (Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Los Angeles, January 3, 1974)

This is the glory of spiritual life. Every moment becomes a moment of celebration. Krishna’s devotees do not have to wait for the New Year to arrive. For them, every day is a New Year. Because every moment they experience new transcendental pleasure.

Material world always bring miseries

Materialistic people wait for New Year. New Year means new hope. They hope that in the New Year they will be able to lead a better life. They will have better health, better relationship. There will not be any job insecurity and no financial challenges.

But the nature of this world is such that it defeats us again and again. It frustrates us. At the beginning of 2020 no one would have thought that a tiny little coronavirus will kill thousands of people all over the world. It will shut down the entire world. People who died because of the Coronavirus would have never thought about it. But such calamities keep on coming. It reminds us that how vulnerable we are in this material world.

No matter how hard we try we cannot be happy without Krishna.

Devotees of Krishna remain free from misery

A devotee of Krishna knows that this material world is extremely dangerous. So, he always remains under the shelter of Krishna.  And Krishna never disappoints his devotees. He always protects his devotees.

When a devotee takes shelter of Krishna, he sees that Krishna personally intervenes to protect him. He experiences Krishna’s mercy. He sees that Krishna is so loving and so caring that he will never allow him to suffer in this world. He develops complete faith in Krishna. He knows that whatever be the situations and circumstances, Krishna will always be with him.

In Krishna’s shelter he enjoys his life. In this world he is happy by living as per the guidelines of Krishna. And after leaving this world he joins Krishna in the spiritual world and enjoys his life there.

Devotees of Krishna celebrate every moment

This is thebeauty of Krishna conscious spiritual life. Bliss is guaranteed. One experiences new pleasure every moment. And that pleasure is unlimited. The so-called happiness of this material world is temporary and not satiating. In fact, the happiness which we experience in this world is mere absence of pain.

But the joy which a devotee gets in practicing devotion to Krishna is so riveting that the seeker wants it more and more. In fact, a devotee feels complete satisfaction just by chanting the names of Krishna. He does not want anything else.

Like a chataka bird which desperately waits for a drop of rain to quench its thirst, a devotee of Krishna longs to quench the thirst of his heart with the holy names of Krishna.

Srila Rupa Goswami used to experience so much happiness by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra that he wanted to chant it again and again.  He desperately used to beg to Krishna, “O Krishna! Give me millions of tongues and millions of ears, so that I can relish the unlimited joy I am experiencing in chanting your holy names.”

Such pleasure awaits us too. We can also celebrate every moment of our life. The only requirement is that we have to become a sincere devotee of Krishna. 

Materially speaking every New Year brings us closer to death. And none of us want to die.

But a devotee of Krishna comes closer to Krishna every moment. 

In this world he remains free from all sufferings and remain joyful. And as promised by Krishna in BG 8.15 – 16, after this life he returns to the abode of Krishna which is filled with unlimited bliss. In the kingdom of Krishna there are no diseases, no old age and no death.

“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.” Bhagavad Gita 8.15

What spiritual resolution to take this New Year?

In New Year people take resolutions. So, this New Year, we should take a resolution that in year 2021, we will become a better devotee of Krishna.  We will chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra with utmost sincerity. No matter whatever be the situations and circumstances we will never give up chanting. We will live as per the guidelines of the scriptures.

Lord Chaitanya who is none other than Krishna came to teach us about the need of living a Krishna Conscious life. He taught us how to become a devotee of Krishna. He has asked us to continuously chant the names of Krishna.

In his Siksastakam prayers he has explained in detail about the glories and potency of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Chanting cleanses our hearts of all the impurities and helps us to develop love for Krishna. And once we attain this state then our every moment will be a moment of celebration. And our every day will be a New Year.

So, if we want to celebrate every moment of our life then we have to become a better devotee of Krishna.  We have to practice devotional life with sincerity and seriousness.

Let us show our sincerity to Krishna from the first day of New Year.

Let us celebrate New Year by completely engaging in Krishna conscious spiritual activities.

Following eight spiritual activities, we must do in the morning of New Year for a wonderful life.

8 Krishna conscious spiritual activities to do in the morning of New Year

1. The first activity which we should do in the morning of New Year is to take darshan of the beautiful form of Srimati Radharani and Lord Krishna.
2. We should pay our respectful obeisances to the divine couple.
3. We should meditate upon the lotus feet of Krishna.
4. We should earnestly beg Krishna for his shelter.
5. We should pray that we always remain absorbed in practicing devotion to him throughout the year.
6. We should sincerely chant the holy names of Krishna i.e. the Hare Krishna maha – mantra in the morning.
7. We should hear the words spoken by Krishna or about Krishna i.e. read or hear Srimad Bhagavatam or Bhagavad Gita.
8. And we should offer nice food to Krishna in the morning and then eat the prasadam (spiritual food).

If we begin New Year in a Krishna conscious way, then our entire year will be full of happiness.

Govardhana Lila Quiz

Govardhana Lila is one of the most celebrated pastimes of Krishna.  This Govardhana Lila Quiz has been designed so that you can assess your knowledge about this wonderful pastime.

Krishna performed many pastimes in this world. These pastimes are called as lilas. Through these pastimes Krishna is showing the glimpse of the spiritual world.  There is variegatedness in the kingdom of Krishna.  Every moment there is celebration because every moment Krishna performs different pastimes.

Vrajvasis know no one but Krishna. And Krishna is always there for them.

So, when Indra, the king of heaven, wanted to punish Vrajvasis then they were in great agony. They immediately approached Krishna. Because Krishna was their centre of life. Krishna was their best friend, best well wisher and the ultimate saviour.

Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill effortlessly and the entire residents of Vrajvasis took shelter under the Govardhan Hill.  

Although Indra wanted to submerge Vrindavan, he wanted to destroy Vrindavan, he wanted to inflict great pain upon the Vrajvasis but he failed.

Instead of experiencing pain the residents of the glorious land of Vrindavan were experiencing ultimate joy.

Vrajvasis always wanted to be with Krishna. And under the Govardhana Hill which Krishna was holding like an umbrella the Vrajvasis were experiencing unlimited joy.  Their dream had come true. They were with Krishna and Krishna was with them.

In our life too if in difficulty we seek shelter of Krishna then the difficulty will become an opportunity to come closer to Krishna.  And if Krishna comes in our life then all our sufferings will disappear just as darkness disappears when the sun rises.

“kṛṣṇa—sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra”

Know how much you know about Govardhana Lila by giving this quiz. You can give the quiz as many number of times you want.

Before attempting the quiz, it will be helpful if you read about this pastime given in Srimad Bhagavatam – Lord Kṛṣṇa Lifts Govardhana Hill

All the best!