Author: Purushottam Nitai Das

Make Every Day a Holy Day

Purushottam Nitai Das April 2, 2018

After 3 days holiday, thanks to Good Friday, we have to again pull our socks and get back to work. But whether two days or three days, Monday is always a tough day. After the weekend, going to office, opening the laptop, reading the mails, attending unending conference calls, meeting the deadline looks so taxing and so boring.  But whether we like it or not, we have to go.

As a fresher when we join the company then we are so enthusiastic to go to office and do our work. I remember I always used to think why do we have weekends, I eagerly waited for Monday and happily used to go to office. But eventually the enthusiasm disappears, work instead of giving joy just becomes a duty. We do our work just for the sake of doing it.

But why does it happen? It is because money, power and position is most of the time the motivating factor for any work we take up. Money can give us undoubtedly some comfort but will not satisfy our heart. And since our heart does not feel pleasure so work eventually start giving us pain.
But when we work for the higher goals, if the purpose is to serve, to bring joy in other’s heart then we tolerate any pains without any complaint. In fact we will not hesitate to work for even 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It so happens because our work gives us pleasure and we love to work which pleases our heart.

Gita’s principles teaches us how to work for higher purpose, how to serve others through our work and how to worship Krishna with our work.  Arjuna kept Krishna always in the center and fought the battle heroically and enthusiastically.  In Bhagavad Gita 9.27, Krishna says whatever you do should be done as an offering to me. Similarly, if we work as per Bhagavad Gita’s guidelines for the betterment of society then our work will become a pleasurable experience and we can offer the fruits of our work to Krishna. And then everyday will become Holy Day including Monday!

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Another memorable day in Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Part 2

Purushottam Nitai Das December 31, 2017
Another memorable day in Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

It is only because of the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that I got an opportunity to spend another memorable day in Mayapur.  One of the most attractive features of the stay in Mayapur is the morning Mangala arati. If you ever get an opportunity, then do attend the arati at 4:30 am in Mayapur Iskcon temple.

I got up at around 3:30 am, took bath, wore dhoti, kurta, tilak and rushed to the Mayapur Iskcon temple.

Sri Sri Radha Madhav gives his divine darshan

At sharp 4:30 a.m. the conch shell blew first at the panca tattva hall and then at Sri Sri Radha Madhava hall.  The gigantic curtains were slid and Srimati Radharani in her whitish complexion and Sri Madhav in his blackish complexion surrounded by asta sakhis – 8 principal gopis – appeared in front of us. They were colourfully dressed and decorated with flowers and ornaments.

Sri Sri Radha Madhav with their big eyes were looking at us and seeing the temple hall which was filled with thousands of devotees. The Supreme Lord had a broad smile on his lips. Devotees were happy to see the Lord. Everyone paid obeisances to Sri Sri Radha Madhav. The pujari began the arati and one devotee started singing Sri Sri Gurvastakam prayer and other devotees repeated after him in rhythm.  

Arati Begins

Pujari was very carefully worshipping the Lord. He first offered incense and then ghee lamp to the deities. After that the deities were bathed with scented water and then dried using a cloth. After this fresh colourful flowers were offered and at the last using a chamar the Lord was fanned. Peacock fan was not used because it was winter time.

Men and women, rich and poor, young and old, Indians and non Indians, so called upper caste and lower caste, Hindus and non Hindus all had congregated. They had forgotten their material designations and were together singing happily and loudly the prayers and the Hare Krishna Mahamantra from the core of their heart. Singing was to glorify the Lord and please the Lord. And since the Lord was happy to see all chanting, singing and dancing so the devotees were also experiencing happiness.

Narasimha Arati, Tulasi Arati, Siksastakam Prayers

Once the arati was completed the curtains of the altar of Sri Sri Radha Madhava were closed and simultaneously the curtain of the altar of Lord Narasimhadeva opened. The pujari worshipped Lord Narasimhadeva and devotees sang Narsimha arati.

After Narsimha arati there was tulasi arati followed by Sistastakam prayers which was followed by few announcements from the temple management.

Experience the spiritual ecstasy

Although I have tried to share my experience of attending Mangala Arati in Mayapur but unless you personally experience it, you won’t be able to appreciate much what I am saying.

It is said that the taste of the pudding lies in tasting it, so come to Mayapur, spend a day in Mayapur and bathe in the divine ecstasy early in the morning during Mangala Arati. You will never forget that divine experience in Mayapur, it will be memorable day.

Chanting with the devotees

After the announcement, mats were quickly spread in the temple hall and devotees sat together to chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.  Srila Prabhupada always advised to practice devotion in association. While chanting I observed that just by seeing the seriousness and enthusiasm of fellow devotees we too try to chant sincerely.

Srila Prabhupada has many times highlighted the importance of devotee association.

“By association with devotees, dirty things within the heart of a materialistic man are gradually washed away by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As silver becomes shiny by being polished, the heart of a materialistic person is cleansed of lusty desires by the good association of devotees. Actually the living being has no connection with this material enjoyment nor with lusty desires. He is simply imagining or dreaming while asleep. But by the association of pure devotees, he is awakened, and immediately the spirit soul is situated in his own glory by understanding his constitutional position as the eternal servant of the Lord.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.22.20)

Rajapur Jagannath temple and drama

We also had a plan to visit the famous Lord Jagannath temple in Rajapur. This temple is very dear to me as I got married there. It is always a great privilege to take darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi here because in front of them me and my wife took our marriage vows and it is because of their blessings are our marriage is successfully continuing.

This temple is also associated with many pastimes. Devotees performed 3 dramas here. I too participated, I was given the role of Lord Jagannath. It was a spontaneous drama, we prepared just 10 minutes before performing.  

One drama was about Lord Jagannath coming out of the altar, climbing the tree to eat jackfruit. Another was when Lord Baladeva slaps a person who was trying to steal ornaments of Lord Jagannath.

A true story of a girl

The third drama was about a non-Hindu girl who disrespectfully throws away Jagannath’s prasad. Later in the night she is punished by Baladeva and Subhadra. The girl is paralysed.  The father of the girl comes in the morning carrying a basket of fruits to offer to Jagannath and wanted to take the prasad to give to her daughter.

Devotees say that still the girl comes with her family members to take darshan of the Lord and she now respectfully takes prasad.

Drama was the best way to explain the pastime to the new devotees.

Visiting Yogapitha and Gurukul

We then left for Yogapitha, the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya. There we took darshan of Lord Chaitanya along with his consorts. After taking darshan we returned to Mayapur temple for breakfast prasadam. We then went to Gurukul to see how young children from different parts of the world stay together in a traditional environment to learn Vedic scriptures.  

We saw how kids spend each day in a Krishna conscious way in Mayapur gurukul, it was a memorable experience for all of us. In fact, a separate article could be written on the Gurukul experience, I will try to write something about that experience.

In the evening in the temple there was Krishna Conscious party on the eve of New Year which went upto 12. I too participated but not till midnight because I did not want to miss the morning Mangala Arati at 4:30 a.m. next day.

An unforgettable & memorable day in Mayapur

How grateful we should be to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who performed so many wonderful pastimes in Mayapur. And how much indebted we should be to Srila Prabhupada, a great devotee of Lord Chaitanya, who built such a wonderful temple in Mayapur for conditioned souls like you and me. 

I can say for sure that if one stays in Mayapur even for a day then he will spontaneously develop love for Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This is the reason that if once you go to Mayapur you will like to go there again and again – the beautiful deities, heart touching kirtan and delicious prasadam will keep on calling you.  

For all of us, it was a memorable day in Mayapur. Do visit Mayapur at least for a day and you will cherish that experience throughout your life!

Also read:

Memorable stay in Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Part 1

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Memorable stay in Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Part 1

Purushottam Nitai Das December 30, 2017
Memorable stay in Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

I always feel privileged to be in Mayapur and stay here. In this holy place Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of Krishna appeared around 500 years ago.

Mayapur is also the headquarter of Iskcon – International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Glories of Mayapur dham is unlimited. If one just stays in Mayapur and following the instructions of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu practices devotional life then one will not just get freedom from all sufferings but will also get an opportunity to return to the spiritual world, the kingdom of God, Goloka Vrindavan.

So, whenever I get an opportunity, I come to Mayapur and stay there.

Visiting Mayapur to celebrate New Year

This year, me and my wife decided to spend 30th and 31st Dec in Mayapur because we thought that this is the best way to welcome 2018. It isn’t a new year according to Vaisnava calendar but nevertheless Srila Prabhupada taught us that every occasion can be celebrated in a Krishna Conscious way.

We decided to join a group of devotees who were going to Mayapur. We started from Kolkata at around 6:45 a.m.  Devotees were trvelling by bus. I do not like to travel by bus because I have motion sickness.  But it is always better to travel with the devotees, so I reluctantly agreed.

Praying to the Lord and after taking a stemetil tablet, I boarded the bus. But after some time, I was feeling sick but fortunately the bus stopped for breakfast and I quickly got down to breathe fresh air.  

Malpua story

For breakfast, everyone was served hot noodles. Devotees were enjoying it but because I was feeling uneasy, I could not relish it. Once during annual Kartik Yatra of Iskcon Chowpatty, devotees were served malpua.

Many devotees relished malpua and after finishing it they again stood in the queue for second helping of malpua. After finishing the second helping, they again went for third helping and so on.  As much as they could eat, they ate it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

But there were unlucky devotees too because they could not enjoy malpua. They had problem digesting malpua which is made using lots of ghee, milk and is soaked in sugar syrup. Some could not eat because of diabetes. Some wanted but could not enjoy it because their stomach was in bad mood that day.

In the evening class that day, HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj was jokingly explaining that it is all because of our karma. Some devotees with good karma may relish malpua and want more. But some because of their bad karma cannot digest even a small morsel of it although they like it.

I was thinking that because of my bad karma I am not able to enjoy the noodles.

Krishna Conscious fun activities

Anyway, after breakfast, we again boarded the bus. As a precautionary measure, I took another stemetil.

It was time for Krishna Conscious fun activity in the bus. We had planned for quiz and DUMB charade.

I had prepared few quiz questions. HG Anant Bhagavan Prabhu asked me to conduct the quiz. All the devotees who were travelling were newly introduced to Krishna Consciousness, but they knew answers to almost all the questions.

Although the questions were simple but everyone need to be complimented for their knowledge about the Vedic scriptures. Questions were about Krishna’s pastimes and were also from Mahabharata and Ramayana.

I have never played DUMB Charade, so HG Anant Bhagavan Prabhu organized it. Later HG Sri Nitai Prabhu sang a very melodious Hare Krishna kirtan which everyone enjoyed.

Reached Mayapur, the spiritual capital of world

During the journey I was constantly inquiring when are we going to reach Mayapur because of obvious reasons. And finally, we reached Mayapur at around 12:15 p.m.  By the time we collected our room keys and prasadam coupon it was almost 1 p.m. Unfortunately darshan was closed, so we decided to have lunch prasadam.

We took prasadam in Gada Bhavan. Taking prasadam in Gada Bhavan is always a unique experience because of its ambience. You will feel that you are eating in a Vedic monastery. Prasadam as usual was tasty.

Darshan and evening programs

After eating prasadam we took rest till 4 p.m. We had a class by HG Acharya Ratan Prabhu, co – director of ISKCON Kolkata at 4:30. But before the class, we all rushed to take darshan of Sri Sri Radha Madhav and Panca Tattva. We felt blessed to see the beautiful deities. We also took darshan of Lord Narasimhadeva and Srila Prabhupada.

After taking darshan of the deities, we went to attend the class of HG Acharya Ratan Prabhu. Devotees were planning to present one drama in the evening. I was asked to be part of one such drama. I got the role of a narrator. Devotees nicely performed drama; everyone liked it. We then took dinner prasadam at Gada kitchen and returned to our respective rooms.  We were staying in Ishodyan Bhavan in Mayapur.

By the time I reached my room it was 10 pm. The entire day was completely packed, I did not get time to complete my 16 rounds of chanting. Few rounds were remaining which I completed.

Preparing for next day morning Mangala Arati

Also, it was important to take rest early because we did not want to miss the morning Mangala Arati in the Iskcon temple which starts at 4:30 am.

Many new devotees had come with us, and everyone wanted to attend morning Mangala arati. One of them was my colleague. He was also too eager to attend Mangala Arati in the morning. I was eager too.

Before going to bed, I prayed to Sri Sri Radha Madhav and Panca Tattva to bless me so that I can give up lethargy in the morning and go to temple to attend Mangala Arati.

A Krishna conscious day in Mayapur

The first day stay in Mayapur was memorable, we relished each and every moment. Entire day we remained engaged in Krishna Conscious activities. This is the beauty of visiting a holy place.

Even though we may not be pure devotees but seeing so many sincere devotees around us, we too get inspired to become serious in our spiritual life. We try to forget all our material worries and try our best to remain absorbed in Krishna.

Also Read:

Another memorable day in Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Part 2

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Only a disciplined disciple develops love for Krishna

Purushottam Nitai Das February 14, 2017

Published in Dandavats

We are so serious, so enthusiastic and so happy when we are just about to receive the beads from our spiritual master during the initiation ceremony. We promise to ourselves that as soon as we will get the beads we will chant not just 16 rounds but many more rounds with utmost sincerity, will follow the 4 regulative principles not just carefully but with extraordinary determination and with extraordinary zeal will serve the mission of Srila Prabhupada.
And in fact, for few days or weeks or even for few months we live up to our expectations.  But gradually the enthusiasm starts waning and we start taking our devotional life casually. 
We chant just to complete our rounds, follow regulative principles only grossly and do services casually.
Initiation isn’t a formality or a name giving ceremony but it’s a very serious commitment, it’s connection of the heart. A disciple is utterly serious about serving Krishna and he knows that the best way to be Krishna Conscious is by consciously serving as per the instructions of his spiritual master. Spiritual master isn’t just a designation, he is not an ordinary soul but he represents the guru parampara and so the mercy of Krishna is reaching to us through him.
Great souls in the past through their exemplary examples have shown us the importance of having a spiritual master and how to practice devotional life as per the instructions of the spiritual master.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura was seriously contemplating to give up his life when Srila Gaur Kishore Das Babaji Maharaj, out of his humility, was not willing to initiate him. With tears in his eyes, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura said, “karuna na haile kandiya kandiya prana na rakhibe ara – If there is no mercy, weeping and weeping, I can sustain my life no more. If I do not receive your mercy I do not see any need in holding onto life”.  The prayer melted the heart of Srila Gaur Kishore Das Babaji and he happily accepted him as his disciple.
Lokanath Goswami had taken a vow not to accept any disciple so he was finding ways so that he can avoid initiating Narottama Das Thakura. But Narottama Das Thakura desperately wanted to take initiation from Lokanath Goswami. With utmost humility, he pleaded, “The guru guides his disciple in practical spiritual life. I have no spiritual insight, and I am feeling separation from the Lord. For this reason, I beg for your mercy.” In his heart, he had already accepted Lokanath Goswami as his spiritual master. He followed his instructions seriously, happily served him even doing menial services for him and patiently but eagerly waited to get initiated.  After waiting for a year, he again approached Lokanath Goswami, “I am like a young woman who has already chosen her husband. My heart is clear without any doubt. A young woman who makes up her mind in this way prays that her father will agree with her choice. I pray that our Father in heaven agrees with my choice.”  Lokanath was so moved by his sincerity. Accepting him as his disciple, the great sage said, “Your fierce determination has exceeded my own – but you are the only disciple I will ever make.”
These great devotees of the Lord through their conduct have demonstrated that for our spiritual progress we need a bonafide guru.
Spiritual master is our spiritual father who is very much interested in our spiritual growth.  A father knows the best for his child so our spiritual master knows what is the best medicine which should be administered to us to cure our manifold material miseries.
We can never repay our debt to our spiritual father who has taken the responsibility to take us back to the kingdom of Krishna. But yes, we can at least become a responsible disciple and try our best not to commit any sinful activities. We should not be just sentimentally attached to our spiritual master and neither be a pretender trying to portray ourselves as a dedicated soul.
But in fact, we should be devoted and determined. And should always accept the fact without any doubt that our spiritual master is more elevated than us and is our best well-wisher.
Srila Prabhupada explains, “Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught us this instruction that we shall always remain a foolish student before our Guru Maharaja. That is the Vedic culture. I may be very big man, but still, I should remain a foolish student to my guru. That is the qualification. Guru more murkha dekhi karila sasana (Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi 7.71). We should be always prepared to be controlled by the guru. That is very good qualification. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadaḥ. Ara na kariha mane asa. So, we should become always a very obedient student to our guru. That is the qualification. That is the spiritual qualification.” His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day, Lecture — Hyderabad, December 10, 1976:
Initiation is a serious commitment and if we are serious to seek shelter of Krishna then we must seriously practice our devotional life by enthusiastically following the vow which we take during initiation.
Only a disciplined disciple develops love for Krishna and is welcomed in the kingdom of Krishna.

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When it became difficult to call Krishna’s name

Purushottam Nitai Das November 8, 2016

Chanting the Hare Krishna maha – mantra isn’t a mundane activity but is in fact a means by which we can experience exponential spiritual pleasure.

Chanting connects us to Krishna provided we chant with utmost sincerity and seriousness. One of the most important requirements of chanting is that we should pronounce each syllable of the maha – mantra clearly and loud enough so that we can hear what we chant.
But many a times we the spiritual seekers chant inattentively without bothering if we are calling the names of Krishna with clarity or not. That the ability to chant Krishna’s name is a gift given to us by Krishna to re-establish our relationship with him is totally forgotten.
Have we ever bothered to ponder what if this gift, the gift of speech, is taken away from us one day? 
Recently I underwent oral surgery and realized what it means not having the ability to speak.
The surgery which lasted for more than 2 hours was quite complicated and very painful. After surgery my mouth and gums were swollen and it was almost impossible for me to open my mouth and speak. Now as per the vow taken during initiation we are supposed to chant 16 rounds of Hare Krishna maha-mantra daily irrespective of any circumstances and so I tried to comply with the vow.
But chanting became a herculean task. With great difficulty I was able to pronounce each syllable of the maha – mantra and in spite of the efforts I was not able to utter the holy names with clarity. And the chanting was so feeble that I had to struggle to hear what I was chanting. Somehow I was able to complete my 16 rounds. But the excruciating pain during chanting forced me to remember those days when I had the ability and opportunity to chant with clarity but I rarely bothered to do so. During those days my mouth just uttered the words, the ear remained oblivious to those words and my mind mostly wandered recklessly taking me into different worlds. I rarely chanted with love and devotion, rarely thinking that the ability to chant Krishna’s name is also a gift given to me by Krishna. And never ever thought what if this precious gift is taken away from me one day. Although Krishna being so kind has not taken this precious gift from me. But the temporary ailment at least made me realize that how casual I have been in my chanting.
Inattentive chanting is the root cause why we do not excel in our spiritual journey. Most of us make multiple material plans but seldom make plans to grow in our spiritual life. We do not realize that our ephemeral body is deteriorating day by day. When we are hale and hearty then we have more opportunity to be Krishna conscious. But sadly we waste those moments pursuing sensual goals. But if we utilize such precious moments in practicing spirituality then result will be phenomenal, we can attain Krishna.
So next time when we have beads in our hands and we are ready to invest time in chanting Hare Krishna maha – mantra then we should invest all our consciousness in it and chant clearly, attentively and reverentially and enjoy the transcendental sound and feel Krishna’s presence in our heart. Hope when I recover fully then I too will become more serious in my spiritual journey.


Published in: Dandavats

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When terrorists beg for sympathy?

Purushottam Nitai Das November 2, 2016
pic source: http://www.india.com

When 8 SIMI terrorists were gunned down by the MP police then the usual suspects – the liberal secularists – started shedding gallons of tears.

How can the police so cruelly kill the “innocent” terrorists? They asked. Don’t they have heart? Would they have not shown compassion towards them?

Wiping their tears they discussed with their secular friends that all the 8 activists (according to The Hindu) who had fled the jail at around 2:30 in the morning after murdering head constable Ramashankar Yadav by slitting his throat would have been hungry. So, as a secular country the government should have first arranged for their morning refreshment. But the communal Indian government and MP government decided to kill them. So horrible! So shameful! All the police personnel who were part of this operation should be immediately suspended, arrested and tried for murder.

These murderers never showed any sympathy while killing others and bombing innocent men, women and children but today their admirers in the media, in the political parties and the Human Rights Organizations are asking why sympathy was not shown to these dreaded terrorists. Whether they were killed in a fake encounter or not needs to be properly investigated first. But the left liberals have already declared that the encounter was fake. They had also previously declared Ishrat Jahan an innocent girl and the Batla House encounter as fake.

Criminals (and their admirers too) since eons have always sought sympathy and talk eloquently about righteousness as soon as they realize that they have been cornered and their end is near.

In Mahabharat we see how Karna upon facing inevitable death was talking about morality. But he had forgotten that he had willingly or unwillingly supported all the evil plans of Duryodhana. Duryodhana had tried to burn the Pandava brothers along with his old mother Kunti alive and later had tried to publicly shame Draupadi. Karna along with Duryodhana had also killed unarmed Abhimanyu mercilessly who was so young.

However this is not to suggest that Karna or Duryodhana were like these dreaded terrorists. These terrorists are zillions times worse than many despicable characters mentioned in Vedic books.

Whether the encounter was fake or real but one thing is sure that today billions of Indians are feeling relived after hearing the elimination of these terrorists.  Only if the Indian judiciary would have been effective then there would have been no need of any encounter – fake or real. But our judiciary drags the case not for years but for decades.

And during these period the innocent men, women and children live in fear because no one knows when these enemies of humanity may break the jail, hijack the plane or bomb the train. 

And the most disgusting part is that there powerful sympathizers are ever ready to come to defend them.

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Enjoy the envy in the neighbours’ eyes!!!

Purushottam Nitai Das September 8, 2016
“Buy the car and enjoy the envy in your neighbours’ eyes”. With this tagline a car company hopes to lure more people to buy their brand. And what’s wrong with the message if today people prefer buying products not because of their needs but because of their desire to flaunt their wealth to prove their worth.  So before buying a car they measure the length of their neighbours’ car to make sure that their car is bigger than that of their neighbours. People stand in queue for hours to buy the latest electronic gadgets so that they are not labelled as downmarket.
 
But in the quest to be the best we lose mental peace and remain in constant anxiety. We do not cherish our achievements rather we fear others accomplishments.  “What if my friends/relatives/colleagues/neighbours surpass my material position and possessions?”   “What if I lose things which are now so dear to me?”  Our miserable and not so miserable state depends on what I have which others don’t have.  If others are materially better than us then we start envying them and if we are better than others materially we start demeaning them.
 
Envy isn’t a godly quality to be cherished but is in fact a deadly sin which eventually implodes injuring us severely. Envy impels people to act impiously and in many cases violently. Duryodhana was so envious of Pandavas’ name, fame and virtuous kingdom, Indraprastha,  that he devised plans to not just destroy them but went to the extent of disrobing Draupadi, his  own sister in law. Envy never allowed Duryodhana to be peaceful; he always remained in anxiety and he finally died ignominiously. Whereas Pandavas, irrespective of favourable or unfavourable situations and circumstances, always remained peaceful and satiated because they never envied anyone.
 
With envy in the eyes, hatred in the heart and anger in the word we can never be happy in this world. This is why in Bhagavad Gita 16.3 Krishna tells us that freedom from envy is a virtuous quality. So, instead of trying to enjoy envy in others eyes we should try to treasure the gifts which God has given us with a thankful heart.


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Why I Am Not God

Purushottam Nitai Das June 24, 2016
           

                                                    Published in India Opines
A well-known spiritual speaker thundered, “I am here to tell you a very astonishing secret which will change your life.” The audience waited with bated breath to known the life transforming secret. The speaker after a long pause roared, “You all are GOD. It is just that you have forgotten that you are GOD.” The revelation charmed the hearts of the listeners and they greeted him with thunderous applause.

5000 years ago at the battlefield of Kurukshetra, when Krishna told to Arjuna that I have spoken this imperishable science of yoga to sun god Vivasvan (Bhagavad Gita 4.1) then Arjuna questioned how could it be possible because the sun god is very senior to you by birth?(Bhagavad Gita 4.4).  Krishna said, “Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot” (Bhagavad Gita 4.4).

We may wonder why?

It is because Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Arjuna is just a living entity. Brahma – Samhita describes that Lord never forgets Himself and so is called acyuta (infallible) but the living entities like us are prone to forgetfulness.

So the logic given by some spiritual gurus that “We all are God and we have just forgotten that we are God” is not supported by the Vedic scriptures.

Vedic books very clearly delineates as who God is.

  • isvarah paramah Krishna – “Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead” (Brahma-samhita 5.1);
  • Krishna tu bhagavan svayam – “Lord Sri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.38).
  • “Devaki’s son [Krishna] is the Supreme Lord” [Narayana Upanisad (4)].
  • Even Krishna speaks about His supreme position: mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya – “O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me” (Bhagavad-Gita 7.7).
  • Arjuna too accepts that Krishna is the Supreme Lord: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. (Bhagavad-Gita 10.12-13)
     
    We desire to be the controller and the proprietor and so we feel elated when someone comes and tell us that we are God.  Some spiritual charlatans share some secret mantras assuring us that by chanting these words we would become God. Some tell us that by performing yoga or certain type of meditations we will merge into God and become God.
    Krishna did not chant any mantras or perform any yoga or meditation to become God. He was God before he decided to enter into the womb of Devaki and after coming out of the womb he was still God. And since the moment he appeared he performed many extraordinary miracles which a living entity cannot perform.
    When little Krishna opened his mouth in front of mother Yashoda then she saw the entire universe in Krishna’s mouth. Is there any spiritual guru or his disciples who can show the entire universe in his or her mouth?  The answer is: NO.
    We need to understand that we are not God and we can never become God. God is always God.
     
    Some false gurus decorate themselves with the ornaments of scriptural knowledge and renunciation and mislead their followers by making them believe that they too can become the Supreme Being. To buttress their point they even misinterpret the scriptures.
    So, we need to be very cautious whenever we approach any spiritual teacher.  Whatever he teaches we should always vet it with the Vedic books.  If it matches with the Vedas then he can be accepted else rejected.
    As Krishna says in Gita, “As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly” (Bhagavad Gita 4.11) which means we get what we desire in this world. If we desire cheaters we will get cheaters who will take us away from God. And if we desire genuine spiritual knowledge then we will be directed towards those who are dedicated devotees of the Lord selflessly serving the people by bringing them closer to God.
     

        (pic source: http://hiswordinwood.com/)

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    Call For ‘Bharat Ki Barbadi’ At India’s JNU?

    Purushottam Nitai Das February 23, 2016


    Article published in India Opines

    Like every Indian (or rather majority of the Indians), I was enraged when I heard the slogan in JNU: “Go India… Go back… Kashmir ki Azadi tak… Jung Rahegi… Jung Rahegi…Bharat Ki Barbadi Tak… Jung Rahegi… Jung Rahegi. And like every Indian (or majority of the Indians), I too thought that we all will unite against the handfuls of anti-nationals and soon they will be caught by the police, rusticated by the college and put behind bars. But I was totally shocked to find that these anti-nationals have their sympathisers too that to in India and not in Pakistan or in Taliban.  The congress and the communists and the AAP came together in their support. And when the sedition charges were levelled against them and one of the members were arrested, the left liberal cried – Rising Intolerance. Freedom of expression is under threat in the regime of Hindu Modi. This strategy has been very successfully used by the left liberals since Modi came to power. 
    After 9/11 there has been no terror attack in USA but in India there is no end to terrorists attack or Maoists attack. Why? Because in USA there is no direct or indirect support to terrorists or anti – nationals but the same cannot be said in India. Remember, when 76 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were killed by Maoists in Dantewada then there were celebrations in JNU. And when in 1962 China attacked India then one of the communist parties in India took the side of China.
    The left liberals have mastered the art of shielding themselves against all the scrutiny. No one can dare to question them.  And if anyone tries then they are immediately labelled as fascists or Hindu nationalists. The video clippings of JNU unequivocally prove that the students were not just raising anti-India slogans but they were in fact, threatening that they will not rest till India is destroyed. But according to left liberals the students have a right to espouse such ideas and no actions should be taken against them. In fact, soon a morphed video was widely circulated which claimed that ABVP members were shouting anti-India slogans. However, Delhi police Chief, BS Bassi, has categorically said that ABVP members were not involved in anti-India sloganeering, the video is fake. But when have the secular liberals cared for the facts, it is they who decide what is right and what is wrong. For e.g. for them Ishrat Jahan was an innocent girl. Although Intelligence Bureau (IB) of India gave the evidence that she is a terrorists, Lashkar e Taiba’s website accepted that she is their operative and David Coleman Headley too told the court that she was a member of the terror outfit. But still she is an innocent girl according to them. When the entire world accepted that the 26/11 attack on Mumbai was carried out by Pakistani terrorists then our secular brigade wrote a book – RSS ka shadayantra, 26/11″.  The book claims that RSS had planned attack on Mumbai, and the book launch function was attended by our dear Digvijay Singh.
    It is not just the terrorists and Maoists who are dangerous for the sovereignty of India but it is also their ideological mentors who propagate anti-India sentiments. And they need to be exposed and apprehended and should not be nurtured. It is widely known that in the garb of freedom of expression anti-India and also anti-Hindu activities are carried out in JNU but it never used to come in public domain because their powerful sympathisers in the media never allowed this to happen. But today thanks to the social media the common man does not have to depend only on mainstream media to know the truth.  After the anti-India videos were circulated on social media, millions of patriotic Indians came to know about the nefarious activities which are being carried out by some JNU students. Sadly we also saw that the menace has also spread in Jadavpur University, Kolkata, where again anti – India slogans were raised by few anti-nationals. Today the mood of the nation is that strong action should be taken against the anti – nationals.

    If Kamlesh Tiwari can be behind bars for using derogatory remark against Prophet Mohammed then why not those who are shouting anti-India slogans and calling for India’s “Barbadi” and disintegration be behind bars? 

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    Insulting Hanuman & Goddess Kali not good for secular India

    Purushottam Nitai Das February 21, 2016


    With the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India in 1976, the word “secular” was incorporated in the Preamble. The state will respect all the religions and every Indians will be treated equally irrespective of their religious beliefs.
    However in due course of time a very alarming and disturbing trend begun wherein it became very common to denigrate the religious beliefs of Hindus and that too in the garb of secularism and freedom of expression. If the Hindus protested then immediately they were labelled as fascists and intolerant.
    Now the practice of defaming Hindu religious icons have become so common that anyone can do it and get away with it very easily. In fact for those who aspire to be counted as “secular” and “liberals” it is mandatory for them to vilify Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Teesta Setalvad compared Hindu Gods with ISIS. She posted a photoshopped image of Goddess Kali with the face of an ISIS terrorist on twitter. The Hindu published a cartoon on JNU row insulting Hanuman and Lord Rama. The cartoon shows Hanuman setting ablaze JNU on the order of Narendra Modi. In the cartoon Hanuman is uncouth, have wicked smile and is carrying a weapon which generally demons use. Modi depicted as Lord Rama is happy to see Hanuman fulfilling his divisive agenda.  This cartoon was shared by Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, on his twitter account. The purpose of such depiction is to show that the Hindu religious icons are terrorists and hooligans. There was no outcry, no condemnation by mainstream politicians and reputed journalist and columnists – the torchbearers and upholders of Indian secularism.
    Compare this with Kamlesh Tiwari incident who made derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad.  He was immediately arrested under NSA and put behind bars. But certain sections of Muslims were not satisfied with this and they demanded death penalty for him. Lakhs of Muslims protested in several parts of India. In West Bengal’s Malda district around 2.5 lakhs Muslims while protesting turned violent, they burned local police station, shops and houses belonging to Hindu community. India’s secularists looked the other way and some justified saying that Muslims have been hurt so the violence.
    It’s not that the Hindus should also start using violence against the blasphemers but at least as per the laws those who insult Hindu religion and tradition should be dealt with. Hinduism is a peaceful religion, it teaches people to accommodate others faith too and this is why we see in India both Islam and Christianity have not just thrived but there adherents are free to practice their faith without any fear. But contrast this with the condition of Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh; they have been virtually wiped out. Those Hindus who have fled Bangladesh recounts many horrific incidents which forced them to leave the country. However the tolerance of Hindus should not be taken for granted or else we may reach to a point where Hindus may retaliate which will destroy peace and harmony of this country.
    Teesta Setalvad and her ilks and the leftist newspapers like The Hindu are known to abhor Hinduism and so nothing much better can be expected from them. But Arvind Kejriwal, being a responsible politician, should uphold the dignity of his chair and refrain from supporting those who insults Hinduism and tries to sow the seed of hatred.

    India will flourish only when all Indians respect each other’s faith and belief and live together in harmony.  India will not become more secular by insulting Hanuman and Goddess Kali but it will become a vibrant secular republic when Hindu religion is also treasured.

    Pulsihed in India Opines

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