Sri Krishna Priti Arthe

Hare Krishna,

IMG_0567

I am extremely sorry for the last post. I was adding another page, copying whatever verses I had saved on the sweetness of Krishna, and instead of adding it like a page I sent it as a new blog, a fallout of waking up in the middle of the night on a spiritual burst!

Kindly check the new page entitled My Sweet Lord by clicking HERE.

I haven’t made new year resolutions since many years but right now I feel inspired to write that my new year resolution is that henceforth I will share whatever I have learnt, or will learn in future, with the devotees. I will not just `store’ it is as an information in my head or in any device.

I am sharing this wonderful verse by Kunti Maharani which we can all remember, recite and meditate upon daily (even just the translation) while being in front of Lord. I heard this from HG Dravid Prabhu in a class at Mayapur.

tvayi me ’nanya-viṣayā
matir madhu-pate ’sakṛt
ratim udvahatād addhā
gaṅgevaugham udanvati

O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else. (SB.1.8.42)

I seek your forgiveness for my continuous faults while writing these blogs and also beg you to kindly pray for me today that I develop some attraction for the lotus feet of all the Vaishanavas.

Please accept my good wishes for a very happy and Krishna consciousness new year.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada came to take away our suffering

Hare Krishna

30th Dec, 2014. Gurgaon

Quotes-by-Srila-Prabhupada-on-Cause-of-Suffering

Over last some months I developed a habit that as I would read purports by Srila Prabhupada I will look for answers that Prabhupada has given in his writings. Many a times I have shared them on this blog as Q&A. I have tons of them, while reading on my phone or ipad I simply copy paste them on the device itself and hence its very convenient for me to do it.

Two days back I felt as if Srila Prabhupada is telling me that why am I holding all that information with me and not sharing it with everyone. Therefore, I have made a new page on the blog where I will continuously update various answers given by Srila Prabhupada via his purports and other writings. I am purposely not putting them in main blog as there no. will increase perpetually and I don’t want devotees to get daily mails. The idea is that we can all come back to that page in our free time and read the nectar in only Q&A form. Kindly click HERE to view the page, I will be very grateful if you can give me the feedback for improvement. I am very sorry for sending a blank blog an hour ago by mistake, please pardon my error.

I am also thinking of adding another page where we can post various pastimes of Srila Prabhupada. Please give your advice on this endeavour as well. You can check that page also on the main page. Please share inspiring pastimes of Srila Prabhupada by e mail (giriraj.bcs@gmail.com) or post it via comments and I will add them to the main page.

I am posting a wonderful pastime below which shows the level of compassion Srila Prabhupada had for every living entity on planet earth and, probably, why Prabhupada agreed to have his deity installed inside ISKCON temples.

It was the beginning of 1977. Prabhupada was in Bombay temple. He was very sick. He had stopped all food intake – he was taking 1/4 a cup of orange juice per day. His body had only bones left – there was no flesh. And yet, he was insisting that he wanted to go to London. The doctors had given up responsibility. But as always, he was adamant.

At this time, one Pancaratrika Pandit from Bangalore named Sampat Kumar Bhattacarya came to know about Srila Prabhupada’s situation. So, he took a flight from Bangalore to Bombay – which in those days was a huge thing for a Brahmin priest – and met Prabhupada, and asked for a private meeting. Generally, nobody was allowed a private meeting, but when he said that he specially came by flight from Bangalore to meet Srila Prabhupada, he was allowed a private meeting. So, everybody was asked to go out, and they talked.

The conversation was like this: Sampat Kumar: ‘Swamiji, I am feeling very pained that you are suffering like this.’

Prabhupada (laying down, in broken words): ‘The whole world is meant for suffering. Dukhalayam asavatam.’

Sampat Kumar: ‘But still Swamiji, there are so many people depending on you. So when you suffer, they suffer.

Prabhupada: ‘What can I do?’

Bhattacarya: ‘Swamiji, I want to tell you something. In Vrindavan temple, they are having your deity on the altar. And all kinds of people are coming and praying to it, and offering flowers to it, and you are still living. According to Pancaratra, when the Acarya is living, if he puts his deity on the altar, then all the sufferings people are having come to his body through the deity. So you please tell your disciples to worship your deity only after you leave your body.’

He was speaking as if he was giving some information to Prabhupada, which Prabhupada did not note.

Prabhupada: ‘I know. I came here to take their suffering.’

Bhattacarya was shocked. He was not giving any new information. This was well known to Prabhupada; and he was determined to suffer for others.

Prabhupada: ‘Do you have anything else to say?’

Bhattacarya: ‘Swamiji, if that is your wish, what can I say? I am only a priest.’

Prabhupada: ‘Even when I leave, I will keep continuing taking their suffering, and make them free so they can keep chanting Hare Krishna.’

So for 10,000 years, Prabhupada’s deity is going to be sitting in temples around the world, and taking all our sufferings, and making us free so we can chant Hare Krishna. He is not fiberglass; he is really there, accepting our prayers, obeisances, and suffering.

Where else in the recent history can we come across a personality who had such compassion for the most fallen souls. And via his books Srila Prabhupada continues in his effort to guide every one of us to the top region of the spiritual world….Goloka Vrindavan. He is the `Jagat Guru’ in this age of Kali for next 10,000 years.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We have our self made this world Duḥkhālayam Aśāśvatam

Hare Krishna.

18th December, 2014, Gurgaon.

Quotes-by-Srila-Prabhupada-on-Happiness

Two weeks back HG Bimla Prasad Prabhuji visited ISKCON Gurgaon center and gave a very different lecture on the famous verse of Bhagavad Gita.

mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ (BG 8.15)

Transaltion
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.

Prabhuji first asked how many devotees have heard the words ‘duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam’. When not too many hands raised, Prabhuji joked that these are very commonly used words in ISKCON and most of the devotees should have heard them by now. Then instead of explaining and expanding the purport Prabhuji asked the devotees what has been their personal experience of duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. Prabhuji squarely rejected the standard replies of birth, old age, disease and death and asked devotees to introspect what has been their own individual experience of this world being duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. Prabhuji stressed that experience is always personal and never general. Prabhuji also stressed that we should not follow blindly and should match what is written in scriptures with our own experience. And only when we see that whatever is written in our scriptures is matching with our experience then our faith becomes solid other wise doubts can creep in.

It was quite an interesting session as usually preachers do not push the devotees in this way. It was quite interesting when Prabhuji said that most of us do not remember our own birth and haven’t faced death and other experiences in life have also not been so bad, in fact life is moving quite well for most of the those present in the hall ! Prabhuji left his lecture with question hanging in the air for us to retrospect.

It got stuck inside me as I realised that I too could not think of what practical experience I can share from my own experience. I really liked the way prabhuji pushed us with questions rather than an answer to force us to think.

As the luck would have it Prabhuji was delivering his regular lectures at Punjabi Bagh temple the day before and I attended it via www.mayapur.tv. In the lecture Prabhuji again mentioned mentioned the word duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam but mentioned that bhakti is performed su-sukham (with joy) BG 9.2. Coincidentally I had used the same verse in my last blog, just a few days back. Prabhuji said that this is world is not a place of misery but we have made it a place of misery by not following Lord’s instructions. If we follow Krishna’s instructions then the life would be blissful. What a wonderful reply.

Today morning as I was chanting my rounds, my past experience which proved that this world is indeed duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam came floating in my mind.

I realised that there were two ways I had earlier made my life duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam and then I tried to match my own experience with few verses from scriptures. Here it goes, two ways by which I did everything wrong in my life

  1. Sense gratification by indulging in

a. Gambling
b. Intoxication
c. Meat eating
d. Illicit sex

Before coming in touch with devotees I broke almost all the above regulations. While trying to enjoy via my senses I never realised that every so called enjoyment was temporary and unsatisfying once it was over, each pleasure was momentary. I never realised that not only my senses remained unsatisfied but they also pull down my consciousness, which was going in a complete downhill trajectory. Also rather than getting satisfied, my senses were getting inflamed, each sense gratification would leave me for hungry for the same. The wait for a sense gratification was more satisfying then that particular pleasure itself. It was as if more is required to douse them but they were acting like a fuel in the fire rather than water!

BG 3.39: Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.

  1. No God in my life : The main problem was that there was no place for God in my life. Well there was a god and it was me ! In my early opinion the world revolved around my interests, my satisfaction, my enjoyment! And when I won’t get it then I would become frustrated and angry and when I would get it then it was meant for me anyway and I was ready for more. I had no faith in God, leave aside in any scripture. Subconsciously I hankered for something but didn’t know what it was or what will satisfy it, and in the meantime I jumped from one sense gratification to another.

BG 2.66: One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?

Later, Bimla Prasad Prabhuji spoke that it is not that the Lord has opened a torture chamber for us and we are being forcefully put into misery. The problem is that we are breaking almost every possible regulation written in our scriptures and letting our greed/lust rule our mind and intelligence, hence we are suffering. So it is we ourselves who have made this world duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam by our own conduct.

It took two lectures by prabhuji for a fool like me to realise what is actually meant by duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam and how by following the Guru, Acharya and scriptures my life has turned less anxious, the senses are a little more controlled and bhakti has made my material life far more satisfying and joyous.

BG 2.70: A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires — that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still — can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.

I also realised that Lord is most merciful and when we take shelter of His name and His devotees, even endeavour to become His devotee then the same material world becomes far more peaceful and satisfying, as we start serving Krishna with our senses.

Srila Prabhupada gives a simple four way formula in his purport of Bhagavad Gita 13.8-12 on how to be happy in this material world

The best process for making the home pleasant is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can make his home very happy, because this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very easy. One need only chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Kṛṣṇa, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four things will make one happy.

It will be, as Srila Prabhupada often writes, make the best use of a bad bargain !!

All glories to HG Bimala Prasad prabhuji.
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Devotee’s reaction to material problems

Hare Krishna.

15th December, 2014, Gurgaon.

Quotes-by-Srila-Prabhupada-on-Expressing-Gratitude-to-The-Lord

I heard about someone not being well today and it made me think how I used to behave, when ill, before coming into Krishna consciousness.

Basically, not unlike a spoiled brat, I would raise a big hue and cry and ensure that the whole house would know how much I am suffering. And this would be for anything from a mild fever to a bad throat. My family would dread my ever falling ill. Priti, my wife, used to say that she prays to God that I should be the last person in the family to fall ill as I can’t tolerate even a small inconvenience and make everybody else life also miserable by my constant demands, while on the bed, and description about my suffering to any and every one who was ready to listen ! I would spend my sick time, when not complaining, either watching TV, reading novels or sleeping, in other words I would be plain bored and would be a irritated patient. I would rush to take the antiboitics the very moment so that I don’t have to go through any more cough and it used to work very well. I used to hate being sick.

Now to the present status. I fell ill for few days in the beginning of this month. It was nothing serious, I caught cold, which got worse and instead of taking antibiotic medicine I thought let me bear the whole discomfort and infection will pass in few days. I had to spend 3-4 days at home due to fever and cough. Eventually I was back in shape after a week. The whole house was quite as I found that by the grace of God I have suddenly got a lot of time to catch up with my hearing and reading. I was in a bliss. Of course there was some uncomfortableness due to fever and constant cough for few days, but it was just a small irritant or rather a very small price to pay for being able to hear and read so much. I was so happy that I can now hear and read without any comments from anyone in the family and I am sure they too were happy thinking that I was so quiet. It was too quite for their comfort ! Priti pushed me to go to office on third day as I seemed to be in no discomfort at all. I had to show her the thermometer and remind her of my constant cough that I am still sick ! She then questioned `why am I not seeing a Doctor?’ She commented that I seem to be enjoying it. How true it was. I politely told her that Doctor will just give me some antibiotics to relieve me of constant cough and fever and I am taking neem capsules to build stamina in my body and let’s just watch for one day more and if not recovered then I promise to go and see a doctor. With this excuse four days passed and I was back in action.

As I write and look back, I realise that not only my general health has improved after coming into Krishna consciousness, mostly due to regulated eating habits, but the time during the sickness too has improved tremendously. Now sickness means more reading, more hearing and no disturbance from anyone. It gives me a chance to come more closer to Krishna. Now, I look forward to being sick as well.

I searched for a relevant quote from Srila Prabhupada I came across this gem from HH Mahanidhi Maharaj.

Pride is so deep, that even when we are sick, we are proud of it. We tell others about our sickness, to get their sympathy and attention.

How very true, this was indeed me !

Maharaj then adds the below lines to his above quote

But Krishna’s devotees are humble. They never want any attention from others. They keep everyone’s attention on Krishna.

I haven’t reached this stage yet but atleast I know that I am moving a little away from the other extreme of trying to gain everyone’s sympathy and attention.

Krishna says in BG 9.2

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam

This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.

Prabhupada writes in his purport to the above verse ‘The process of devotional service is a very happy one (su-sukham). Why? Devotional service consists of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, so one can simply hear the chanting of the glories of the Lord or can attend philosophical lectures on transcendental knowledge given by authorized ācāryas. Simply by sitting, one can learn; then one can eat the remnants of the food offered to God, nice palatable dishes. In every state devotional service is joyful.’

Sometimes looking for that big transformation within us we fail to take notice of so many small positive changes that have entered our consciousness and we miss the chance, every time, to pay our gratitude to our spiritual master, our Acharya and our dear most Lord.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to being in Krishna consciousness.

Why did Lord Krishna appeared as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ?

Hare Krishna.

11th November, 2014. Gurgaon.

mahaprabhu

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Question : What were the three external reasons for appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ?

Ans: Srila Prabhupada writes in the summary of third chapter of Adi Lila :

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, after displaying His pastimes as Lord Kṛṣṇa, thought it wise to make His advent in the form of a devotee to explain personally the transcendental mellows of reciprocal service and love exchanged between Himself and His servants, friends, parents and fiancīes. only Kṛṣṇa Himself can explain the confidential loving service performed in the four principal varieties of loving affairs between the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore personally appeared, with His plenary portions, as Lord Caitanya.

CC Ādi 3.13: Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoys His transcendental pastimes as long as He wishes, and then He disappears. After disappearing, however, He thinks thus:
CC Ādi 3.14: “For a long time I have not bestowed unalloyed loving service to Me upon the inhabitants of the world. Without such loving attachment, the existence of the material world is useless.
CC Ādi 3.15: “Everywhere in the world people worship Me according to scriptural injunctions. But simply by following such regulative principles one cannot attain the loving sentiments of the devotees in Vrajabhūmi.
CC Ādi 3.16: “Knowing My opulences, the whole world looks upon Me with awe and veneration. But devotion made feeble by such reverence does not attract Me.
CC Ādi 3.17: “By performing such regulated devotional service in awe and veneration, one may go to Vaikuṇṭha and attain the four kinds of liberation.
CC Ādi 3.26: “My plenary portions can establish the principles of religion for each age. No one but Me, however, can bestow the kind of loving service performed by the residents of Vraja.
CC Ādi 3.28: “Therefore in the company of My devotees I shall appear on earth and perform various colorful pastimes.”
CC Ādi 3.29: Thinking thus, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, descended at Nadia early in the Age of Kali.

According to the Vedic literature, the foremost occupational duty for humanity in this Age of Kali is nāma-saṅkīrtana, or congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord. Lord came as Yuga Avatara to inaugurate sankirtana movement.

F02.

CC Ādi 3.50: In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is repeatedly and clearly said that the essence of religion in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.
CC Ādi 3.51: “O King, in this way people in Dvāpara-yuga worshiped the Lord of the universe. In Kali-yuga they also worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the regulations of the revealed scriptures. Kindly now hear of that from me.
CC Ādi 3.52: “In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the name of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.”
CC Ādi 3.58: “By performing the sacrifice of congregational chanting of the holy name, learned scholars in the Age of Kali worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is now nonblackish because of the great upsurge of the feelings of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. He is the only worshipable Deity for the paramahaṁsas, who have attained the highest stage of the fourth order [sannyāsa]. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Caitanya, show us His great causeless mercy.”

Advaita Ācārya felt sorry for the condition of the world because even after Lord Kṛṣṇa’s appearance, no one had interest in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. This forgetfulness was so overwhelming that Advaita Prabhu was convinced that no one but Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself could enlighten people about devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Therefore Advaita requested Lord Kṛṣṇa to appear as Lord Caitanya. Offering tulasī leaves and Ganges water, He cried for the Lord’s appearance. The Lord, being satisfied by His pure devotees, descends to satisfy them. As such, being pleased by Advaita Ācārya, Lord Caitanya appeared.

Advaita_Acarya

CC Ādi 3.96: Advaita Ācārya having appeared, He found the world devoid of devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa because people were engrossed in material affairs.
CC Ādi 3.97: Everyone was engaged in material enjoyment, whether sinfully or virtuously. No one was interested in the transcendental service of the Lord, which can give total relief from the repetition of birth and death.
CC Ādi 3.98: Seeing the activities of the world, the Ācārya felt compassion and began to ponder how He could act for the people’s benefit.
CC Ādi 3.108: Thinking of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He constantly offered tulasī buds in water from the Ganges.
CC Ādi 3.109: He appealed to Śrī Kṛṣṇa with loud calls and thus made it possible for Kṛṣṇa to appear.
CC Ādi 3.110: Therefore the principal reason for Śrī Caitanya’s descent is this appeal by Advaita Ācārya. The Lord, the protector of religion, appears by the desire of His devotee.

Question : What were the three confidential reasons for appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ?
Answer:

CC Ādi 4.230: Desiring to understand the glory of Rādhārāṇī’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī, as the moon appeared from the ocean.”

The first purpose was to relish the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the prime reciprocator of transcendental love of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of transcendental loving transactions with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The subject of those loving transactions is the Lord Himself, and Rādhārāṇī is the object. Thus the subject, the Lord, wanted to relish the loving mellow in the position of the object, Rādhārāṇī.

The second reason for His appearance was to understand the transcendental mellow of Himself. Lord Kṛṣṇa is all sweetness. Rādhārāṇī’s attraction for Kṛṣṇa is sublime, and to experience that attraction and understand the transcendental sweetness of Himself, He accepted the mentality of Rādhārāṇī.

The third reason that Lord Caitanya appeared was to enjoy the bliss tasted by Rādhārāṇī. The Lord thought that undoubtedly Rādhārāṇī enjoyed His company and He enjoyed the company of Rādhārāṇī, but the exchange of transcendental mellow between the spiritual couple was more pleasing to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī than to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Rādhārāṇī felt more transcendental pleasure in the company of Kṛṣṇa than He could understand without taking Her position, but for Śrī Kṛṣṇa to enjoy in the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was impossible because that position was completely foreign to Him. Kṛṣṇa is the transcendental male, and Rādhārāṇī is the transcendental female. Therefore, to know the transcendental pleasure of loving Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared as Lord Caitanya, accepting the emotions and bodily luster of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Lord Caitanya appeared in order to fulfill these confidential desires, and also to preach the special significance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare and to answer the call of Advaita Prabhu. These were secondary reasons.

CC Ādi 4.238 — Once Lord Kṛṣṇa considered within His heart, “Everyone says that I am complete bliss, full of all rasas.
CC Ādi 4.239 — “All the world derives pleasure from Me. Is there anyone who can give Me pleasure?
CC Ādi 4.240 — “One who has a hundred times more qualities than Me could give pleasure to My mind.
CC Ādi 4.241 — “One more qualified than Me is impossible to find in the world. But in Rādhā alone I feel the presence of one who can give Me pleasure.
CC Ādi 4.242-243 — “Although My beauty defeats the beauty of ten million Cupids, although it is unequaled and unsurpassed, and although it gives pleasure to the three worlds, seeing Rādhārāṇī gives pleasure to My eyes.
CC Ādi 4.244 — “The vibration of My transcendental flute attracts the three worlds, but My ears are enchanted by the sweet words of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
CC Ādi 4.248 — “Thus although I am the source of happiness for the entire world, the beauty and attributes of Śrī Rādhikā are My life and soul.
CC Ādi 4.249 — “In this way My affectionate feelings for Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī may be understood, but on analysis I find them contradictory.
CC Ādi 4.250 — “My eyes are fully satisfied when I look upon Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, but by looking upon Me, She becomes even more advanced in satisfaction.
CC Ādi 4.262 — “I am always eager to taste the joy that Rādhārāṇī derives from Me.
CC Ādi 4.263 — “In spite of various efforts, I have not been able to taste it. But My desire to relish that pleasure increases as I smell its sweetness.
CC Ādi 4.264 — “Formerly I appeared in the world to taste mellows, and I tasted the mellows of pure love in various ways.
CC Ādi 4.265 — “I taught devotional service that springs from the devotees’ spontaneous love by demonstrating it with My pastimes.
CC Ādi 4.266 — “But these three desires of Mine were not satisfied, for one cannot enjoy them in a contrary position.
CC Ādi 4.267 — “Unless I accept the luster of the ecstatic love of Śrī Rādhikā, these three desires cannot be fulfilled.
CC Ādi 4.268 — “Therefore, assuming Rādhārāṇī’s sentiments and bodily complexion, I shall descend to fulfill these three desires.”
CC Ādi 4.269 — In this way Lord Kṛṣṇa came to a decision. Simultaneously, the time came for the incarnation of the age.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

CC Ādi 4.231 — All these conclusions are unfit to disclose in public. But if they are not disclosed, no one will understand them.
CC Ādi 4.232 — Therefore I shall mention them, revealing only their essence, so that loving devotees will understand them but fools will not.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

My Gurus in 2014…

Hare Krishna

5th December, 2014. Gurgaon

If your car is moving, don’t forget whose push started it to get it going. Similarly, always remember the different gurus that got you moving on the path of devotion.  HH Mahanidhi Maharaj

If your car is moving, don’t forget whose push started it to get it going. Similarly, always remember the different gurus that got you moving on the path of devotion. HH Mahanidhi Maharaj

As the year 2014 comes to I feel inspired to share and thank the devotees who helped me and inspired to take baby steps in Krishna consciousness. I, then, remembered how I had written a blog in Jan 2013 ( click here to read the same) and I thought let me take the same format and list down my own 24 gurus.

Let me recount that Shri Dattatreya had twenty-four teachers from nature as he told King Yadu…. The earth, air/breeze, sky, fire, the sun, pigeon, python, sea, moth, elephant, ant, fish, Pingala the courtesan, arrow-maker, infant/playful boy, the moon, honeybee, deer, bird of prey, maiden, serpent, spider, caterpillar and water are my twenty four preceptors.

Here is my list for 2014, this is not in any particular order, I am writing as I remember them.

  1. HG Rukmini Krishna Prabhuji, Delhi : He is and would always remain my shiksha guru and guide, whatever little I am today in my spiritual life is all thanks to him. Every time I listen to Prabhuji’s class I can see the quality of preparation behind it. I learn from prabhuji how one must always prepare well for his class, picking a topic and expanding on it and ensuring that devotees take home some learning from each class.

  2. ShyamSundar Krishna Prabhuji , Gurgaon : Prabhuji remains a very dear friend cum guide. I feel so inspired by his level of service. Prabhuji serves the local ISKCON centre very well. The amount of effort he pitches in, with the right attitude, and how he helps devotees in time of their need is very inspiring for me. On top of that prabhuji has a unique knack to ask open ended questions to make any class or discussion interactive.

  3. ShyamVihari Prabhuji & Shyamangi Radhika Mataji, Surangi Mataji, Parmeshwari Mataji and so many other devotees : What a feeling they have to serve their Guru, small things like who is going with Maharaj, lack of a back pillow in a class, a foot mat, they all have very good bhava to serve guru. I can only pray to them that by their association I too get same bhava to serve senior Vaishanavas.

  4. Mukundapriya Prabhuji, Surat : I personally experience how Prabhuji served Guru Maharaj in Gurgaon. Prabhuji will just sit outside Maharaj’s room like a servant, no questions, no comments, just there as a dedicated servant. I felt very inspired and try to copy the same feeling while serving Guru Maharaj.

5. Mukunda Prabhji., Ujjain : Prabhuji is a senior and very humble devotee. He visited us this year and bowled us over with his humility and honesty by sharing his challenges in spiritual life and asking advice from devotees half his age. Prabhuji acted as if to teach us this attitude. He showed me that I should never feel shy about asking help about any challenge I may face. I acted on it and got benefited.

  1. HG Vidurpriya Prabhuji, Delhi : Prabhuji is a senior preacher and has such an affable personality and everyone loves him. The quality I learn from him is `no envy’. He is always pleased to hear glorification of everyone and there is never a tinge on envy in him.
  2. HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj : I respect him so much. There was a recent incident where I personally realised how merciful and compassionate Maharaj is towards all. My day is simply made when Maharaj’s merciful eyes fall on my fallen body and soul.

  3. Tulasi Maharani : She is my guru in many ways, for the time being I can just say that the reciprocation and the mercy I received from her taught me to inculcate similar feelings for others, which I have yet to even start. I became aware of so many offenses I did while serving her initially, and I am sure I still don’t serve her properly, but she reciprocated just on some tinge of right feeling in my heart.

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  1. Rasikakeshava Prabhuji, Gurgaon : Prabhuji is one of the more sincere devotees in our small town. Prabhuji came to our home on way to his office, he works in a MNC co., I was surprised to see him wearing tilak to office. It was light and not as thick and bright we usually wear to temple but it was there and Prabhuji inspired me to follow the same. Now, most of the days I wear a very light tilak to office, no longer water, all thanks to him.
  2. Dhama : I wrote about my experience few weeks back on how dhama reciprocates when we try to serve than trying to enjoy its potency for our ownself. Its a big learning for me and I pray that always remember it. I learnt that I can serve dhama by serving devotees in the Dhama and visit as a guide for new people rather than just about me and Dhama.

  3. HH Bhakti Vijnana Mahaaraj : I love Maharaj and his style of explaining complex topics. It was only after hearing Maharaj’s lecture on how chanting purifies scientifically that I looked inside my own heart and pushed myself to improve my chanting. It was his seminar where I realised the potency of chanting. My chanting will never be the same, even on the worst of the days. I have written two unfinished blogs sharing what I learned in two seminars but they are turning out to be too long and

  4. Kirtana : I am not a very Kirtan person, I sure like them but lecture is always my first love. This year, after a gap of two years, I again attended the Barsana retreat by HH Sacinanadan Maharaj, for two days only. When I reached I found that it was the day of the 12 hour kirtan. At first I felt sad as I thought O! I missed all the lectures/katha and now one day will only be kirtan. Maharaj immediately put everyone in to the right mood to be absorbed in the kirtan and then it was one superlative performance after another. Later, how the kirtan ended for me is a topic for another blog in future. Let me share my chanting improved 200%, atleast for the time being. And what a feeling, it was if my anarthas were falling like huge sheets of glass, I could literally hear them breaking. I will never forget that experience my whole life. I will never undermine the potency of Kirtan, ever. Kirtan is my new guru.

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  1. Asit Prabhuji, Gurgaon : Prabhuji is one of the most senior and respected devotee in Gurgaon and teaches Vaishnava etiquette by his own example. So many incidents in the past one year which were eye openers for me. I feel so fortunate that we have a devotee with such high standard of manners which we can copy wholeheartedly.
  2. HG Damodar Prabhuji, Vrindavan : Prabhuji is very sweet and does very nice katha and more sweeter Vaishanava bhajans. Prabhuji gave me the taste to hear and learn Vaishanava bhajans, I always look forward to his class and it is because of him only that I fell in love with `Hari haraye namah krishna Yadvaye namah’ and other Vaishnava bhajans.

  3. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta : I had so much hankering for knowing more and more and would collect all sort of books. I would read them for few days then jump to a new one. This continued till I read Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta . It was as if this is what my soul was searching from eternity. If I ever learn Bangla language, it will be only to taste its verses.

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  1. Guru’s words : What a guru. I learnt the hard way what is the consequence when I ignore instructions of my guru and also learnt in a very pleasant manner what are benefits when I cling to every single word of my guru, the results are many times disproportionate to my service. I have taken the words from a guru or instructions from a senior devotee as a separate personality whom I must server if I want to progress more than what I deserve.
  2. Servant of the servant: I went to serve guru maharaj during the recent Kanpur temple opening. After reaching the temple I found that two senior god brothers have already arrived with the same intent. Instead of being happier I at first felt a tinge of sadness in my heart as I thought that I will not get the opportunity to serve Guru Maharaj but then I let it go as I thought that these devotees are more qualified to serve guru maharaj than me and it is better only that they serve Guru Maharaj well rather than my service, which is basic at best. Then it dawned upon me that I can learn from them by serving them instead. I tried my best to serve them and I came back even happier than serving guru maharaj directly. I realised that this is my right position, servant of servant and I also realised that it is more pleasing to my soul. So now whenever I have the opportunity I try to serve those devotees who are serving Guru Maharaj, I feel happy to be a small inconsequential devotee who is assisting the direct servants in their service to guru. I never knew that being servant of the servant could be more satisfying than serving directly.

  3. Kartika month : This was the first year where we sang Damodarashtakam almost every evening at home. Result… very nice reciprocation, I got so many realisations and for the first time I learnt to meditate on the form of Lord while singing. I have realised that kartika month too is my guru and when I serve him, the reciprocation and learning are huge.

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19. HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj : I hear maharaj’s seminar on Damodarashtakam since last 2 years and it has left a lasting impression on my heart. It was only after hearing his prodding questions that inspired me to go a bit internal and improve my Sadhna Bhakti.

  1. Time : I learned how flexible time is actually. I did hear in a lecture that time can contract and expand but realised it only this year. I found so many times that while chanting, in the kirtan, the time stops, literally. I realised that as we go from gross to subtle and further subtle levels we can easily experience it. Time teaches me to put my heart into everything I do and then time takes a back seat.
  2. Association of Guru Maharaj :I love to relish just being near him. I feel that I am already participating in Lords pastimes. Days seem longer, just guru’s association in itself seems to be perfection for me.

  3. Srila Prabhupada : I got the service to send one Prabhupada quote to our local temple devotees, Initially I would cut and paste from ISKCONdesiretree and later I pushed myself to pick one from whatever I read that day. This habit continues since many months. It gave me unshakable faith in the writing of Srila Prabhupada as I realised how easily I am able to get quotes from almost every second verse and how they are absolute in themselves and need no explanation nor depends on some time, place or circumstances, unbelievable. I learn from Srila Prabhupada everyday. He is my eternal shiksha guru.

  4. Association of devotees : Another guru. I have started considering `association of devotees’ as a personality who cools my soul. Innumerable times I have benefited spiritually by just being in the association of devotees. So many devotees showered their mercy on me this year, HG Madhavananda Prabhuji, Amitab Krishna Prabhu. I had to open my introvert and dry heart and they poured their mercy in it and making it more malleable.

  5. Hearing Krishna Katha : Today I consider Krishna Katha as independent person and non different from Krishna Himself in many ways. This guru gives something rare…. greed for Krishna.

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sādhu-saṅge kṛṣṇa-nāma-ei-mātra cāi
saṁsāra jinite āra kona vastu nāi

Other than sadhu sanga and the name of Krishna, nothing else is needed to cross over the ocean of birth and death.

As I wrote in my last year blog that apart from these 24 gurus, I have a special half moon in my life, my spiritual master. He is my lord and my master, there is nothing that I have learnt from my own capability or ability, everything has happened due to the sheer causeless mercy of my spiritual master. I have understood that my eternal svarupa is to be his servant’s servant. Goal of my life ? What can I do to please him.


According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is non different from Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees.
(CC Ādi 1.45 )

Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is identical with the Vedic hymn known as the Kāma-gāyatrī, which is composed of twenty-four and a half syllables. Those syllables are compared to moons that arise in Kṛṣṇa. Thus all three worlds are filled with desire. (CC Madhya 21.125)

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