Tag: suffering

As soon as soul look towards the Supersoul, he becomes free from all anxieties

Mundaka Upanisad and Svetasvatara Upanisad say that the Supersoul and the Soul are like two birds on the same tree yet too far from each other.  The Supersoul desperately look towards the soul, but the Soul is indifferent to Supersoul’s gesture of love. 

Krishna, the Supreme Lord, as Supersoul, Paramatma, is always with us in our heart yearning for our attention but we are too busy to reciprocate with him.

For millions and zillions of years he has been patiently waiting for us. One would have become hopeless by this time. But still he has the hope that a day will come when we will look towards him and say “Yes, I have been missing you”.

We are always together yet away from each other. The two of us are on the same tree. We the individual soul is busy eating the fruits of the tree and the Supersoul is just watching us. Both of us are desperate.

The Supersoul is desperately waiting for the individual soul to turn towards him, and the individual soul is desperate because he wants to enjoy this world. While endeavouring for material gain, we, the souls, go through many difficulties.

Fear and frustration become our constant companion. During this period, Supersoul continues to look towards us hoping to seek our attention. But still, we are reluctant to look towards him.

Krishna, never leaves us

Mundaka Upanisad (3.1.2) and Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.7) explain this graphically, “Although the two birds are in the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories—at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties.”

Krishna is our eternal friend, but we have forgotten our friendship with him. We independently decided to break this bond and pursue our goals separately.  Here we struggle hard to achieve something. Sometimes our endeavour fructifies and sometimes not. Whatever may be the outcome, the fruits which we get fail to keep us happy, so we continue struggling hard.

And whatever we accumulate, we leave here only because when we die, we do not carry anything with us.

When we accept a new body based on the karma we performed then again Krishna accompanies us. And he has been doing so again and again, life after life.

He is not upset by our constant neglect. He never leaves us. Just like a true friend he hopes that a day will come when we will remember him, embrace him and will say with deep love, “Yes Krishna, I have been missing you. I love you.”

As soon as we will turn towards Krishna, we will be free from all sufferings and enjoy a happy life with Krishna. But if we continue to look away from him then we will continue to suffer.

Three Reflections

• Krishna, the Supreme Lord, as Supersoul, Paramatma, is always with us in our heart yearning for our attention but we are too busy to reciprocate with his gesture of love.
• When he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories—at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties.
• But if he continues to look away from the Lord, he will continue to suffer.

Ask Yourself

• How many times do I remember Krishna in a day?

Action Item

• Make it a point to remember Krishna constantly
  • In the morning chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
  • In the afternoon say a prayer to Krishna for at least 5 minutes.
  • In the night before going to sleep read Krishna book for 30 minutes.

Krishna rewards us as per our wishes

Krishna is an impartial Lord; he always rewards us as per our wishes. This he confirms in Bhagavad Gita, “As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly” (Bhagavad – Gita 4.11). So, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to get the best from Krishna. For this, we have to just take his shelter, and he will make our life wonderful.

If happiness is currently eluding us then it implies that we are now not being rewarded by Krishna. It is not because Krishna does not want to reward us, but it is because we do not deserve to be rewarded by Krishna. This happens because we have not agreed to take shelter of Krishna.

If anyone takes shelter of Krishna, Krishna considers him his own and gives him the best.

For example, when Dushasana was trying to dishonor Draupadi then she took shelter of Krishna, and Krishna immediately came to her rescue and saved her honor. Sudama surrendered all his possessions which he was carrying in the form of broken chipped rice to Krishna and Krishna gave him wealth greater than the emperor of the world.

This is Krishna’s mercy upon those who take his shelter.

Now, we may have a question as how to take shelter of Krishna. This is personally explained by Krishna in Bhagavad Gita. And he repeats this two times. This is the only verse which he says twice in this divine literature.

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

Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. Bhagavad Gita 18.65

Always remain under Krishna’s shelter

Krishna advises us that in all situations and circumstances, we should be absorbed in him. During difficulties, we should remember Krishna and during happiness we should not forget Krishna. In this material world we do not know when happiness turns into disaster.

If we continuously remember Krishna, then no suffering will touch us. Sometimes externally it may look that devotees are being troubled by material miseries but internally they are not affected. This happens because devotees rise beyond their material mind and body.

For example, it looks like Prahlada was suffering when Hiranyakasipu was trying to kill him through various means. But Prahlada remained undisturbed and unharmed. And he also was always in bliss.

These stories of great devotees like – Draupadi, Sudama, Prahlada – teach us how we should live in this world amidst trials and tribulations. In this material world there will be people who will try to inflict suffering upon us. And sometimes the situations may not be as per our liking. 

But we should never get disheartened. This becomes possible when we give our heart to Krishna and decide to remain always under his shelter.

When Krishna sees this wish of ours, he happily comes and resides in our heart because he says in Gita that he rewards his devotees as per their wishes. Devotees then start experiencing great joy and feel completely protected.  

Three Reflections

• If happiness is eluding us, then it implies that we are not taking shelter of Krishna.
• Krishna advises us that in all situations and circumstances, we should be absorbed in him.
• When we give our heart to Krishna then Krishna comes and resides in our heart.

Ask Yourself

• Am I engaging my mind in thinking of Krishna or thinking on topics not related to Krishna?

Action Item

• As soon as your mind deviates from Krishna, force it to think about Krishna.

Detachment from material attachment gives unlimited happiness

The more we are attached to this world, the more unhappy we become. The more we are detached from this world, the more happy we become. And if we are completely detached from this material world then we become eligible to experience unlimited happiness.

Srimad Bhagavatam tells the story of a hawk who was having a piece of meat in his mouth. Seeing the meat the other hungry hawks who were stronger than him started attacking him.

Fearing his life the weaker hawk immediately dropped the piece of meat from his mouth and the angry hawks immediately stopped attacking him. The weaker hawk felt safe now and experienced joy as he was not being attacked any more.

It’s a valuable lesson for all of us. Just think about anything you were attached to in your life. And ask yourself if it caused happiness or pain, fear or joy, frustration or contentment? In almost all the cases, you might have experienced pain.

Any sort of material attachment becomes the cause of unhappiness.

I see in IT industry people are attached to go to onsite to USA or to European countries. Now everyone’s dream cannot be fulfilled. Those who are too attached to go to abroad always remain in anxiety thinking that whether he will get an opportunity or not.

And there are others who too are vying for the same opportunity. So, there is always unhealthy competition. And once one fails to go abroad then he becomes completely dejected.

Now suppose that there is an employee who works hard but is not attached to go abroad and also not attached to not to go abroad then will he ever be in misery? Will any kind of unhealthy competition bother him? Obviously, not.

Attachment to Krishna

In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches Arjuna to do his work as a matter of duty with utmost sincerity and simultaneously not to get attached to this world. Instead, the Supreme Lord, asks Arjuna, the fearsome warrior, to get attached to him.

So, detachment from this world means getting attached to Krishna, the Supreme Lord.

The more we are detached to Krishna, the more we suffer. The more we are attached to Krishna the less we suffer. And if we are completely attached to Krishna then there is no suffering, there is only unlimited happiness.

So, the devotees of the Lord who are always attached to the Lord are always blissful, joyful and peaceful. Nothing of this world troubles them because they understand that nothing of this world is worthy enough to give them anything more valuable than Krishna. So, they are always engaged in chanting and singing the glories of Krishna.

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” Bhagavad Gita 9.14

Three Reflections

• Material attachment becomes the cause of suffering.
• Material detachment gives relief from material suffering.
• Attachment to Krishna bestows unlimited spiritual happiness.

Ask Yourself

• Think of anything or any person whom you were attached to and ask yourself whether it caused pain or pleasure?

Action Item

• Identify an attachment which is troubling you and list down the steps which you plan to take to get detached from it.

Are we wasting this human life gifted to us by Krishna?

This human form of life is gifted to us by Krishna so let us not waste it by indulging in those activities which will take us away from Krishna.

Suppose that a person is gifted a luxurious car like Rolls Royce, but he is using it for picking garbage from the street.  What will you call him? Intelligent or utter foolish? The answer is obvious.

Similarly, those who use the precious human life in satisfying their senses like the animals then holy scriptures call them unholy and foolish.

Just think that there are 8.4 million species of life across this material universe and one of the species is of human beings. There are several varieties of animals, birds, aquatics, plants, insects and so on. Some of these species we might have not even seen or may not even know.

We might have seen pictures or videos of some animals or plants which have been spotted for the first time. There are insects who are born in the stool, live in the stool and die in the stool. And there are hogs who live on stools. Such an abominable life.

We are so fortunate that we are humans. So, Lord expects us to live like humans. But if like animals we are mad for sensory pleasures then what is the use of us being humans?

The purpose for human life is to get free from the repeated cycle of birth and death, get liberated from all the miseries and most importantly get reunited with Krishna. If we are not doing so, then we are losing this precious gift of Krishna.

Krishna does not deprive his devotee of anything

And because of neglecting the advice of the Lord, if we glide down to animal life then we do not know after how many millions of years we will again get this human body?

People most of the time are obsessed with economic development. They think that if the bank balance swells then their enjoying capacity will also multiply manifold. But how much can we enjoy? Our capacity to enjoy materially is limited.

It is not that if we eat 4 chapatis daily, a bowl of rice, dal and vegetables then after becoming a billionaire we will start eating 100 chapatis, 50 bowls of rice, 100 liters of dal and 100 kg vegetables daily. Many times, people obsessed with earning money develop health issues and are not even able to enjoy their meal.

Yes, looking for financial stability is not wrong, and we should work hard for that. But while doing so we should not neglect devotion to Krishna.  In fact, if we practice devotion to Krishna then Krishna will make sure that we do not have scarcity of anything in this life. This is confirmed in Bhagavad Gita 18.78.

And in the next life anyway we will be with Krishna, so there won’t be any suffering.  If we turn the pages of history, we will find that no one who has taken shelter of Krishna ever was deprived of anything.

So, we are told that we should live in this world by keeping Krishna in the center. If we do so success and happiness is guaranteed. This is the best use of the human form of life gifted to us by Krishna.

Three Reflections

1. There are 8.4 million species of life and one of them is human life.
2. Human life is rarely achieved.
3. This human life is Lord Krishna’s gift to us.

Ask Yourself?

Am I using this human life to enjoy like animals or using it to develop love and devotion for Krishna?

Action Item

While doing any activity think if it is taking you towards Krishna or away from Krishna.

Why do devotees of Krishna not suffer? | Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.23

• Srimad Bhagavatam lecture of Srila Prabhupada at Iskcon Newtown Kolkata
  • Verse Number: SB 3.25.23
  • Lecture date:  Nov 23, 1974
  • Lecture location: Bombay
  • Chapter Name: The Glories of Devotional Service
  • Lecture Link:  https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/741123sbbom/
• Day/Date:  Thursday/29^th May 2025

While speaking on SB 3.25.23, Srila Prabhupada explained why devotees of Krishna do not suffer. Even if suffering comes to devotees, he is able to tolerate it and transcend it.

ŚB 3.25.23

mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ
śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca
tapanti vividhās tāpā
naitān mad-gata-cetasaḥ

Translation

Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities.

Following are few important points from Srila Prabhupada’s lecture

• If we understand properly that “I am not this body,” then, although there is suffering, you will not feel very much..
• When we shall feel pleasure by hearing about Kṛṣṇa or talking about Kṛṣṇa, we must know that we are making progress on the path of perfection.
• And at that time any kind of this material suffering will not be felt.

Below article is based on the lecture of Srila Prabhupada

State of unhappiness

Sometimes this material world is compared to a prison house where the rebellious souls like us who have gone against the desire of Krishna is kept and punished.

But some compare this material world to a hospital where we the diseased souls are sent to get cured. Our heart which is inflicted by lust, anger and greed needs treatment.

And this material world is also compared to an ocean where we are being tossed up and down by the waves of material miseries.

Now whether it’s a prison, or a hospital or the turbulent waves of the ocean, it’s a state of unhappiness. 

So, the only possible solution is to come out of it. But the choice is left upon us by God. We have to decide if we want to remain stuck in it or want to quickly come out of it.

Now no one wants to suffer but sadly no one knows how not to suffer.  Absorbed in material life people explore material means to ward off suffering and invite pleasure in their life. But it does not work. Why? Because how much happiness a prisoner, a patient or a drowning man can get.  Almost nothing.  So, the scriptures ask us to give up hope of enjoying in this material world. 

But does it mean that here we cannot be happy? If our consciousness is material, then happiness is a distant dream but if our consciousness becomes spiritual then happiness will become our constant companion.

Suffering is directly proportional to our material attachment

For consciousness to become spiritual, we have to bring Krishna in our life. As soon as we transform our consciousness from material to spiritual our miseries cease to exist.  As long as we consider this material world, our material body everything we will suffer.

But as soon as realization dawns in our heart that we are not material beings meant for unlimited sufferings, but spiritual beings meant for unlimited enjoyment, we try best to free ourselves from material consciousness.

We understand we are not this body, but we are soul. This body is an outer covering, and it will disintegrate one day. Just we discard old and torn clothes similarly one day we will have to discard when the body becomes unfit and diseased.

When we understand this that I am not this body, then bodily suffering will not bother us much. When we understand that we are different from the mind then mind will also not trouble us a lot. Most of time suffering is directly proportional to our attachment and absorption in a thing.

For example, if we are too much attached to our car then even a small dent can make us miserable. Similarly, if we are too bodily conscious then any suffering pertaining to body will disturb us a lot. But instead of being thoroughly absorbed in our body if we become absorbed in practicing devotion to Krishna then suffering of this world will not disturb us much.

Being absorbed in chanting & hearing devotees of Krishna do not suffer

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.23 says that a devotee of Krishna does not suffer at all because they are always engaged in hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. 

“Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities.” Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.23

Prahlad Maharaj echoes this statement. He says, “I know the formula for being happy.” And the formula is to be always remember Krishna and never forget Krishna.

So, in this material world where suffering is inevitable, we have the opportunity to free ourselves from all sufferings. This becomes possible when we become devotees of Krishna and remain engaged in hearing and chanting about Krishna.

Plan for a Krishna Conscious New Year

If we plan for a Krishna Conscious New Year, then throughout the year Krishna will be with us. And if Krishna is with us always then our life will be full of peace and bliss.

Every Year, we welcome New Year with a hope that the coming year will bring more peace and more happiness. And we pray to Lord that the miseries which we underwent through in the outgoing year is not repeated again in the New Year. 

This is what everyone looks for irrespective of nationalities, gender, religion, caste or creed. But why so? Because this is our natural constitutional position.

We are souls and as souls we are sac-cid-ānanda i.e. eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Being blissful is our fundamental right. We all despise misery, and we meticulously plan for a life free from pain.

The cause of unwanted suffering

But in spite of all our efforts and plan miseries follow us like a shadow. In fact, our shadow leaves our company sometimes. For example, in darkness, we are all alone. But miseries never leave us. 

Is there anyone who is free from suffering here? Is there anyone who never had any disease or has not lost his loved ones forever? The answer is obvious.

In fact, if we thoughtfully analyse life, we will see that the more one tries to enjoy here the more one suffers. For example, suppose that there is a family man, who takes care of his family nicely, is too attached to his wife and children then is he experiencing happiness? The answer is yes. But the important question is, how long will he be happy?

Is he going to live with his wife and children forever? So, how will he feel when either his wife or children leaves him, or he is on the deathbed surrounded by his loving wife and children? The mere thought makes us shudder with fear. But this event is surely going to occur whether anyone wants it or not. So, where is the happiness?

Whatever happiness one experiences here has an expiry date.

Now, here we make so many plans to enjoy our life. We do our best to give pleasure to our senses – eyes, ears, tongue, nose, skin. We listen movie songs, watch movies, play sports, eat delicious food, go to exotic locations.

All this we do to become happy. But these indulgences do not give any lasting happiness. In fact, many times the desire to gratify senses become the cause of great suffering. 

How senses become the cause of suffering?

For example, a deer is caught and killed when its ears get captivated by the music of the hunter’s horn. A fish is caught when its tongue tries to enjoy the food hanging from the fisherman’s hook.

A male elephant is caught and enslaved when it becomes mad to touch the skin of the female elephant. A moth burns itself alive when its eyes get attracted to the light emanating from fire.

Not just the animals suffer because they give in to their senses, but we too suffer if we are engrossed in gratifying our senses.  Any of our senses can become the cause of our great downfall. 

Krishna confirms this in Bhagavad Gita 2.67, “As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence.”

In this world all pleasures are flickering and does not satiate our heart. And most importantly, we always live in the fear that anything wrong can happen at any moment. We all have experienced this.

And the most disgusting fact is that in spite of all our plans and efforts, we are forced to suffer here. So, as an intelligent species is it not important for us to figure out why we are never always happy here? Or what is the root cause of our suffering?

Understanding the root cause of our suffering

The answer is not complicated. Its simple. Since, we are souls, we are spiritual. So, if we are spiritual then how can we be happy with the material things of this world?

All our efforts are to give pleasure to our body which is temporary, and which ultimately dies. And since we are eternal souls, so how can we be happy with the temporary things of this world? 

As a soul we never die. But in this world, we have to give up our temporary body again and again. So, can we be happy, if we are forced to die?

This is why the wisdom literatures tell us that we should not be too obsessed with this temporary world.  But we should plan to return back to the spiritual world which is our original home. In the spiritual world, we do not die. There we do not suffer.

Just like in this material world, we have relationships. Similarly, in the spiritual world, we have relationship. But unfortunately, in this world, all relationships are temporary. But in the spiritual world, all relationships are forever. And our most important relationship is with Krishna. 

In fact, we belong to Krishna. We are his parts and parcel.  Krishna is the source of our origin and he the cause of our existence, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, Bhagavad Gita 14.4. But unfortunately, we have forgotten and given up our relationship with Krishna, so how can we be happy?

Even in this world, we see that if a child gets separated from his biological father, he has to lead a difficult life. Similarly, since we have got separated from our original spiritual father, so how can we be happy here? 

The permanent solution for all suffering

So, if we are looking for permanent solution to all our miseries then we should first find out what is the need of our soul. Soul needs Krishna. Just as a lost child attains relief from so many sufferings as he is reunited with his father.

Similarly, we will attain freedom from all suffering when we reestablish our relationship with Krishna.

In fact, more than us Krishna wants us to come to him. This is why he descends from the spiritual world. His purpose is to invite us back to his kingdom. While speaking to Arjuna at the battlefield of Kurukshetra, he says that if anyone takes his shelter then one will be free from all the sufferings, Bhagavad Gita 18.66.

And also, he says that once we go back to his world then we will not again come to this world which is full of suffering, Bhagavad Gita 8.15. Krishna has given this open invitation to all of us.

If we want freedom from all sufferings, then we should bring Krishna in our life. We should plan our life in such a way that we are always Krishna Conscious. While welcoming New Year, let us not be in any illusion that material things will bring happiness in our life.

If we want to celebrate our life then this New Year, we should become Krishna Conscious.

For everlasting peace and happiness, we should revive our relationship with Krishna who is the source of all the pleasures. If we are always Krishna Conscious, we will always be happy, even in this world and when we will be back in the spiritual world. 

But if we are not conscious of Krishna then we will have to struggle in our life again and again.

Why did Prahlada pray for freedom from all material desires?

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

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

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

Are we visiting temple for right reason?

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

Why?

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

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

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

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

What if Lord refuses to fulfil our material desires?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Burden of material desires

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When material life ends, spiritual life begins

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

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

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

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

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

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

Desire to serve the Lord frees us from painful material desires

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

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

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

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

Gita tells us that we are spiritual beings & not a programmable robot

Are we programmable robots or spiritual beings with spiritual consciousness, let us see what Bhagavad Gita says about it.

Modern scientific viewpoint states that we the human beings are nothing but a bag of chemicals & we came into existence owing to some spontaneous chemical reactions and will cease to exist once the chemical reaction ceases.

Scientific theory epitomizes the doctrine of the renowned atheist charvak muni who said when this body dies nothing is left. So, one must enjoy ones life as much as possible. Beg, borrow and steal but enjoy was his message to the humankind.

Modern educational curriculums are designed taking into consideration the aforementioned viewpoint.

Why a robot will have feelings for other robots

Scientists believe that a human brain can be programmed to act in a particular way in the same manner as a robot is programmed in laboratories to act in a particular way.

Today in schools & colleges a student’s brain is stuffed with loads of information to ensure that his brain is programmed to believe that he is the doer of everything and this life of his is to enjoy to the fullest. Every year across the world schools & colleges are manufacturing highly skilled robots, loaded with technical savoir faire.

So, since schooldays itself these mechanized robots starts considering this life to be full & final and are ready to resort to any means to enjoy this (& only this) life. If I am a bag of chemicals & my colleagues or my friends or my family members are also a bag of chemicals then what’s the harm in destroying that bag? I have to enjoy my life any how (beg, borrow & steal).

How a robot can solve life’s problems

However, when confronted with any adversity these highly talented mechanized robots tries to switch on their intelligence button but fails to find out that particular program which can solve their problem.

So, we find these highly skilled, highly intelligent and high profile robots hangings itself with a small rope from the ceiling of the house, taking dollops of rat poison to end the troublesome safari of life or taking the shelter of the sleeping pills.

In spite of being force- fed dollops of arguments against suicide, drug abuse, depression why is it that even the most knowledgeable materialistic brain (high profile engineers, doctors, scientists, business magnates, lawyers) easily succumb to it.

Inundated with plethora of materialistic information human intelligence fails to do an RCA (Root Cause Analysis) of the problem. The brain tries to find the solution based on the existing source codes which were force – fed in schools & colleges to ensure that the being turns out to be a technological masterpiece (robot) unparalleled and unequivocally the best.

However unfortunately, unlike the computer program the output is not always as per the expectations.

Differences between a robot and us

Let us understand the difference between a robot and a human being.

Robot is a mechanical machine devoid of any consciousness whereas human beings are spiritual beings full of consciousness. Unlike human being a robot does not feel pain & pleasure, tears does not start pouring down from it’s eyes with love and ecstasy upon seeing it’s own creator (mother & father) or fellow robots (brothers & sisters).

The flaw of the modern education system is that it does not answer the questions: who we are, what is the purpose of this life & why do we suffer. It provides information only to deal with dead matter. There is no information about isvara(the Supreme Lord), jiva (the living entity), prakrti (nature), kala (eternal time) and karma (activity) in today’s educational curriculum.

We should understand that we are not a robot devoid of consciousness instead we are spiritual beings full of consciousness. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna very clearly says that we are spiritual beings. He explains that we are souls and our material body is functioning only because of the presence of soul within this material body.

“That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul.” Bhagavad Gita 2.17

As a soul we are sat-cit-ananda i.e. eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. A robot will not experience pain or pleasure. At the most, it can be programmed to smile, to laugh or even to shed tears.

But we the human beings cannot be programmed to show emotions in a mechanical way. We actually experience happiness or distress and accordingly express our feelings. Why just the human beings, in fact all living beings like animals, birds, aquatics etc experiences pain and pleasure.

Gita has answer to all the important queries

We are undergoing pain, pleasure and happiness owing to our previous karma. And we are getting affected by it because as Bhagavad Gita explains we are spiritual beings.

As Srila Prabhupada explains, “We are suffering or enjoying the results of our activities from time immemorial, but we can change the results of our karma, or our activity, and this change depends on the perfection of our knowledge.”

As we are conditioned and fail to understand what is right or what is wrong, we should take the shelter of scriptures like Bhagavad-gita which provides answers to all our questions.

Srila Prabhupada explains,”Being an associate of Lord Krishna, Arjuna was above all ignorance, but Arjuna was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra just to question Lord Krishna about the problems of life so that the Lord could explain them for the benefit of future generations of human beings and chalk out the plan of life. Then man could act accordingly and perfect the mission of human life.” 

Throughout Bhagavad Gita Krishna has again and again emphaised that we are spiritual beings and so we should act accordngly if we want to lead a happy life.

Unfortunately, we have banished these religious treatises in pursuit of modernity. However, since time immemorial the priceless, timeless and sublime philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Isopanisad, Puranas & other revered religious scriptures has been a beacon light for the entire human civilization.

A research

Recent research conducted by leading universities all over the world acknowledges the positive impact of spirituality in a person’s life.

Recently published paper ‘Impact of Adoption of Yoga Way of Life on Emotional Intelligence of Managers’ by Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore (https://www.iimb.ac.in/node/4034) states that those individual who has strong spiritual inclination has great ability to withstand failure and stress.

We spiritual beings should be spiritually empowered

Why not include Bhagavad Gita and other revered Vedic scriptures in schools and colleges curriculum. Once done the schools & colleges will no longer produce hundreds & thousands of mechanized robots every year instead, we will have young scholars who are not just technically savoir faire but are also spiritually empowered.

The paper also concludes yoga increases the Emotional Intelligence (EI) of a person which in turn increases the person’s managerial performance. It also says that Yoga can even replace six-sigma.

Empowered with the philosophy of these scriptures a person will not be bewildered when confronted with adversity; he will not be agitated, will not be frustrated and will never indulge in any life threatening and life destructive activities.

Like Arjuna he will be fearless, will always perform righteous deeds and usher the world in a new era of peace, prosperity & happiness.

Bhagavad Gita not just teaches us that we are spiritual beings but also empowers us to deal with even the toughest problems of our life.

Bhagavad Gita has solution for all our miseries

If you are tormented by miseries then do not worry, Bhagavad Gita has solution for all your miseries. None of us want suffering in our life but it comes knocking at our door.  It not just knocks at our door but forcibly enters into our house, into our life.

From a rickshaw puller to a pilot flying high in the sky, from a government employee to a head of the government, from a beggar on the street to a business tycoon, from a baby in her cradle to an old man – all continuously search for happiness. 

But in spite of our obsession with ‘happiness’, ‘miseries’ continuously accompany us like a shadow. Misery can be physical or can be psychological and it has a knack of appearing and disappearing at its own whims.

Types of miseries

Vedic scriptures tell us about the fourfold misery – birth, old age, disease and death.  Till date since the dawn of creation there has not been a single being including non -humans who have not been affected by it.  Who in this world would want to be diseased, grow old and ultimately die? But it happens to all of us. 

In this world we are also subjected to three types of miseries: 

• Miseries caused by nature such as excessive heat or cold, flood or famine, earthquake, tsunami etc. (adhidaivika-klesa)
•  Miseries caused by the activities of fellow beings like terrorists or sometimes by our own near and dear ones.  Even other species like mosquitoes, viruses too inflict on us sufferings in form of several diseases. (adhibhautika-klesa)
• Suffering caused by our own body and mind (adhyatmika-klesa). Bodily diseases, anxiety, depression, stress, fear of future etc. do not allow us to live in peace.

Scriptures are life’s manual 

In spite of our repeated efforts, we are not able to defend ourselves against the onslaught of material miseries.  The only approach which we consider effective is by increasing our worldly possessions and enhancing our material positions.

We think by filling our coffers with lots of money we can bribe misery when it knocks at our door and can change our destiny. But sadly, this rarely happens.  Many times, we are caught off guard and suddenly we find ourselves in precarious situation.

One of the advantages of being a human being is that we have been gifted with intelligence. So, as an intelligent species shouldn’t we ask why in spite of all my efforts, irrespective of all the measures taken we are not able to free ourselves from the strong grip of grief and sorrow?

Are the precautionary measures taken by us aren’t sufficient or is it that the measures itself is erroneous and so outcome is always ineffective?

When we buy a new gadget such as an iPhone then along with it is given to us a manual which not just explains the functionalities of the device but also specifies dos and don’ts.  And for effective functioning we are supposed to adhere to given guidelines.

But if we go against the advice then the device starts malfunctioning.

Similarly, we have also been given manuals by the creator of this world who is also our Supreme Father. These manuals are the sacred Vedic literatures which comprehensively give detail about this world, about our life and also delineate the process by which we can ward off all miseries and lead a peaceful life. 

It will not just protect us from all dangers but will also guide us to a path which will open the door of perennial bliss.

How like Arjuna we can overcome misery

Arjuna was in abject misery and in tears just before the Mahabharat war.  But after being thoroughly educated by Krishna in spiritual science he got enlightened and decided to work according to the directive of Krishna, the Supreme Lord.

By following the teachings of Bhagavad Gita which has solution to all the problems of life, Arjuna was able to come out of all miseries.

Krishna said, “Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.”  Bhagavad Gita 3.30

Arjuna fought with grit without worrying about gain or loss. And since he was executing his given duties as per the laws of God, he was victorious. Krishna was always with him providing protection and guidance. 

We suffer here because we go against the laws of God, we do not turn towards him, but we turn away from him.  But like Arjuna, if we do all our activities as given in the scriptures and if we invite Krishna in our lives then we can protect ourselves from many unpleasant situations and circumstances.  

Krishna saved Arjuna and he wants to save us too

After the Mahabharat war ended, Krishna asked Arjuna to get down from the chariot first. But Arjuna requested Krishna to get down first. Krishna advised Arjuna to do what he is being asked to do.  So, Arjuna got down first and then Krishna followed.

And as soon as Krishna got down from the chariot, the chariot blew up and burned to ashes.  Arjuna was horrified. Krishna explained that the weapons unleashed by Bhishma, Drona, Karna and other Kaurava warriors were extremely powerful but because of him the lethal weapons did not harm Arjuna a bit.

Arjuna always remained safe in Krishna’s hand.  Krishna, the all-powerful and all merciful is our only saviour.

Yes, it is true that in this world a devotee of the Lord too undergoes through old age, disease, death and three types of miseries also affect him.  But for devotees, Krishna is always there for him, just like he was for Arjuna.

Krishna shields his devotees from all dangers and provides him sufficient intelligence and inner strength which helps to nullify the miseries of this world. If we are in Krishna’s care, there is no fear and Krishna wipes all our tear. 

Not just this after leaving this world we get an opportunity to return back to the kingdom of Krishna where there is no rebirth, no disease, no old age, no death, no adhidaivika-klesa, no adhibhautika-klesa and no adhyatmika-klesa.

“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

Free from miseries we can live always happily

In Bhagavad Gita 3.10, Krishna says “Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.”  And the yajna in this world is chanting the names of Krishna, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. 

Chanting brings Krishna’s grace, and it opens the gateway to the spiritual world which is the abode of eternity and bliss. And so, Srila Prabhupada famously said, “Chant and be happy.”

Bhagavad Gita has solution for all our miseries, so if we live as per the guidelines of this great scripture we will never suffer and will live always happily.

How a devotee of Krishna lives fearlessly

A sincere devotee of Krishna is never disturbed by any kinds of sufferings and lives always fearlessly.  We will never find any instance in the Vedic scriptures where a devotee was fearful of any material situation.

But if we are not Krishna conscious then in this world we will always be in a disturbed state. In spite of our power and position, we will live in fear. Whether we are in the house or out of the house we will be in fear.

Many of us think that we are safe and secure inside the house but what happens when earth starts shaking? Do we remain inside the house? At the time of earthquake house is the most unsafe place to be in. But suppose that the earthquake is accompanied by heavy rain and lightening then where will we go? We will then not be secure in the house and also outside the house. 

Is there any place in this world where we are safe? The answer is no.

This is why Srimad Bhagavatam says that in this world there are dangers at every step – padam padam yad vipidam, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.58.

No one can protect us in this world. Even those who loves us the most cannot save us from danger.

A father and a mother cannot protect their child. In fact they can’t even protect themselves.

Even the best doctor and the best medicine cannot save a patient. A boat in the ocean cannot save a drowning man. We all know that Titanic which was said be an unsinkable ship sank in its first voyage.

From womb to tomb uncertainty, anxiety and fear accompany us like a shadow. 

The unwanted suffering

We fear suffering. But suffering comes to us whether we like it or not. 

But when suffering comes, we have a tendency to blame others. We feel that the entire world is conspiring against us. And it is true also that we suffer because of others. But if we study the life of great devotees then we will find that they never blamed anyone for their suffering even though it was very clear that others where inflicting pain upon them.

For example, Prahlada never blamed his father, Hiranyakasipu, who was torturing him mentally and physically and was employing cruel means to kill him. Prahlada said, “I am suffering because of my own activities.” Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.16

Now, how many of us accept that we are the cause of our own misfortune?

We may be suffering now not because the Lord wants us to suffer but because we had indulged in certain prohibitory activities in the past, which is considered sinful by the Vedic scriptures.

Like a prisoner in this world

As long as we are in this world and as long as we have not got purified of all our sins, we will suffer. This material world is compared to a prison house. Just like in a prison, the inmates cannot be peaceful, similarly, in this material world we cannot be peaceful.

A prisoner cannot complain that why he is not happy in the prison house.  

Similarly, we the spiritual beings who have been exiled from the spiritual world and sent to this material world, which is just like a prison house should not expect that we can enjoy here.

Krishna in Bhagavad Gita 8.15 very clearly says that this world is duhkhalayam asasvatam– temporary and miserable. 

The good news – we can live fearlessly.

However the good news is that we are not condemned to suffer forever in this world. There is a solution to all our miseries.

Sometimes seeing the good conduct of a prisoner, the jail authorities may recommend the constitutional authority to reduce his sentence or even recommend to set him free.

Similarly, we the residents of this world also have the chance to get freedom from all the miseries.

The jail authorities of this world may be heartless, biased or corrupt, but the Supreme Lord is unbiased and our best well-wisher.

He has the complete authority over this world and is always eager to take us back to His abode where there are no miseries. And once we return to our eternal home, we will never come back to this world. Free from all sufferings we will live there fearlessly.

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

Now, we do not have to wait to go to the abode of Krishna to live a fear free happy life.

Even in this world, if we always remain under the shelter of Krishna we will attain freedom from all suffering and can life without any fear. 

Showing compassion upon you and me, Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, “Come to me, I will free you from all sins and you can then live fearlessly”.

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” Bhagavad Gita 18.66

How Krishna helps devotee to live fearlessly

In fact, once we enthrone Krishna in our hearts then we can live happily and fearlessly forever, even in this world.  

In fact, a devotee of Krishna lives fearlessly even in this world because Krishna personally and proactively protect his devotee.

Srimad Bhagavatam informs us that if one takes shelter of the Supreme Lord completely then the merciful Lord helps him to navigate through all the dangers which torments us in this world.

“For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoof-print. Their goal is paraṁ padam, Vaikuṇṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.”  Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.58

Always absorbed in Krishna

Great devotee, Prahlada says that he is not afraid of material life because he always meditates on the Supreme Lord which gives him unlimited bliss. But he is concerned about those people who try to enjoy this world and forget to take shelter of the Supreme Lord. Such persons are condemned to suffer.

“O best of the great personalities, I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and maintaining their families, societies and countries. I am simply concerned with love for them.” Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.43

A devotee of Krishna lives fearlessly because the Supreme Lord is always with him.

So, if we too want to live fearlessly then we should follow the footsteps of devotees like Prahlada and always remain under the shelter of Krishna, the Supreme Lord.  If we fail to do so, then we will have to face the consequences.