Dear Prabhus,
    Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila
Prabhupada!!!
    As always, all teachings and purports are given perfectly by His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for our eternal benefit.

"Yes there was all darkness in New York on the 10th instant and it was not a
happy incident. I learn that many people remained in the elevators and in the
subway trains for more than seven to eight hours in darkness. I do not read
newspapers but there must have been some mishaps also which we do not know. That
is the way of material civilisation too much depending on machine. At any time
the whole thing may collapse and therefore we may not be self complacent
depending so much on artificial life. The modern life of civilization depends
wholly on electricity and petrol and both of them are artificial for man."
(from Srila Prabhupada's letter to "My dear daughter Sally," November 13, 1965)

Darshan : http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Meditation109.html

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1, Chapter 9 , entitled "The passing Away of Bhismadeva
in the presence of Lord Krsna."
18 - This Sri Krsna is no other than the inconceivable, original Personality of
Godhead. He is the first Narayana, the supreme enjoyer. But He is moving amongst
the descendants of King Vrsni just like one of us and He is bewildering us with
His self-created energy.

PURPORT - The Vedic system of acquiring knowledge is the deductive process. The
Vedic knowledge is received perfectly by disciplic succession from authorities.
Such knowledge is never dogmatic, as ill conceived by less intelligent persons.
The mother is the authority to verify the identity of the father. She is the
authority for such confidential knowledge. Therefore, authority is not dogmatic.
In the Bhagavad-gita this truth is confirmed in the Fourth Chapter (Bg. 4.2),
and the perfect system of learning is to receive it from authority. The very
same system is accepted universally as truth, but only the false arguer speaks
against it. For example, modern spacecraft fly in the sky, and when scientists
say that they travel to the other side of the moon, men believe these stories
blindly because they have accepted the modern scientists as authorities. The
authorities speak, and the people in general believe them. But in the case of
Vedic truths, they have been taught not to believe. Even if they accept them
they give a different interpretation. Each and every man wants a direct
perception of Vedic knowledge, but foolishly they deny it. This means that the
misguided man can believe one authority, the scientist, but will reject the
authority of the Vedas. The result is that people have degenerated.

    Here is an authority speaking about Sri Krsna as the original Personality of
Godhead and the first Narayana. Even such an impersonalist as Acarya Sankara has
said in the beginning of his commentation on the Bhagavad-gita that Narayana,
the Personality of Godhead, is beyond the material creation. The universe is one
of the material creations, but Narayana is transcendental to such material
paraphernalia.

    Bhismadeva is one of the twelve mahajanas who know the principles of
transcendental knowledge. His confirmation of Lord Sri Krsna's being the
original Personality of Godhead is also corroborated by the impersonalist
Sankara. All other acaryas have also confirmed this statement, and thus there is
no chance of not accepting Lord Sri Krsna as the original Personality of
Godhead. Bhismadeva says that He is the first Narayana. This is also confirmed
by Brahmaji in the Bhagavatam (10.14.14). Krsna is the first Narayana. In the
spiritual world (Vaikuntha) there are unlimited numbers of Narayanas, who are
all the same Personality of Godhead and are considered to be the plenary
expansions of the original Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. The first form of
the Lord Sri Krsna first expands Himself as the form of Baladeva, and Baladeva
expands in so many other forms, such as Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha,
Vasudeva, Narayana, Purusa, Rama and Nrsimha. All these expansions are one and
the same visnu-tattva, and Sri Krsna is the original source of all the plenary
expansions. He is therefore the direct Personality of Godhead. He is the creator
of the material world, and He is the predominating Deity known as Narayana in
all the Vaikuntha planets. Therefore, His movements amongst human beings is
another sort of bewilderment. The Lord therefore says in the Bhagavad-gita that
foolish persons consider Him to be one of the human beings without knowing the
intricacies of His movements.

    The bewilderment regarding Sri Krsna is due to the action of His twofold
internal and external energies upon the third one, called marginal energy. The
living entities are expansions of His marginal energy, and thus they are
sometimes bewildered by the internal energy and sometimes by the external
energy. By internal energetic bewilderment, Sri Krsna expands Himself into
unlimited numbers of Narayanas and exchanges or accepts transcendental loving
service from the living entities in the transcendental world. And by His
external energetic expansions, He incarnates Himself in the material world
amongst the men, animals or demigods to reestablish His forgotten relation with
the living entities in different species of life. Great authorities like Bhisma,
however, escape His bewilderment by the mercy of the Lord.


**********************************
Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti :   Chapter Five - "Lord Kapila
Takes Charge of His Mother, Devahuti"

"...The last word of tattva jnana is to understand Krsna, who is full of
variety. Kapiladeva is tattva-margagra-darsanam. He is an incarnation of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He will explain to His mother what tattva
is, how one can approach the tattva jnana, and how one can actually enjoy tattva
jnana. This is not simply dry speculation. This Krsna consciousness philosophy
includes spiritual variety. People sometimes misunderstand this variety to be
material, and they hanker for nirvisesa, nirakara, void. However, our philosophy
is not void; it is full of variety and transcendental bliss. This will later be
specifically enunciated by Lord Kapiladeva."

*****************************************

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Fourth Chapter, "The Confidential Reasons for
Lord Caitanya's Appearance"

42 -Four kinds of devotees are the receptacles of the four kinds of mellows in
love of God, namely servitude, friendship, parental affection and conjugal love.

43 - Each kind of devotee feels that his sentiment is the most excellent, and
thus in that mood he tastes great happiness with Lord Krsna.

44 - But if we compare the sentiments in an impartial mood, we find that the
conjugal sentiment is superior to all in sweetness.

PURPORT - No one is higher or lower than anyone else in transcendental
relationships with the Lord, for in the absolute realm everything is equal. But
although these relationships are absolute, there are also transcendental
differences between them. Thus the transcendental relationship of conjugal love
is considered the highest perfection.

*****************************************
Darshan : http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Deities199.html

******************************************

His Divine Grace teaches us in his "Elevation to Krsna Consciousness", Chapter
Two - "Hard Struggle for Happiness"
"...It is contradictory for the Lord to be subjected to the laws of His own
inferior energy.
mattah parataram nanyat / kincid asti dhananjaya / mayi sarvam idam protam /
sutre mani-gana iva

  "O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me. Everything
rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread." (Bg. 7.7)

    Again, Sri Krsna states:

tribhir gunamayair bhavair / ebhih sarvam idam jagat / mohitam nabhijanati / mam
ebhyah param avyayam

  "Deluded by the three modes (goodness, passion, and ignorance), the whole world
does not know Me who am above them and inexhaustible." (Bg. 7.13)

    The individual souls, who are put into the miseries of the material world,
are suffering the resultant reactions of their unsanctioned activities. This is
the verdict of Bhagavad-gita.

tan aham dvisatah kruran / samsaresu naradhaman / ksipamy ajasram asubhan /
asurisv eva yonisu

"Envious, mischievous, the lowest of mankind, these do I ever put back into the
ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life." (Bg.
16.19)..."


***************************************

Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.34
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him
submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart
knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.

PURPORT  : The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord
therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of
disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual
master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the
original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey
the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually
realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish
pretenders. The Bhagavatam says: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam--the path
of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or
dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a
bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master
should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master
like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized
spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and
submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless
there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master
will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual
master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically
blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both
blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear
submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear
understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide
spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the
student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation
of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.

**********************************
Srila Prabhupada teaches us in his Perfect Questions / Perfect Answers :

"...One who is controlled by maya is thinking himself master, but he is a
servant. And a devotee never thinks to himself, "I am master," only "I am
servant." That is the difference between maya and reality. He at least knows: "I
am never master. I am always a servant." When a servant is thinking, "I am
master," that is called illusion. But when a servant thinks, "I am a servant,"
that is not illusion. That is mukti, liberation. Because he is not controlled by
false thoughts. Try to think about this subject matter. A devotee is never
controlled by false thoughts. He knows his position. Svarupena vyavasthitih.
Mukti, liberation, means to be situated in one's own constitutional position. I
am a servant. So if I know that I am a servant, that is my liberation. And if I
think that I am master, that is bondage. This is the difference between
conditioned life and liberated life.
    So these Krsna conscious devotees are always thinking that they are servants
of Krsna. Therefore they are all liberated. They do not endeavor for liberation.
They are already liberated because they are situated in their constitutional
position. They are not artificially thinking, "I am master." Otherwise, everyone
is thinking, "I am master." That is illusion. You cannot be master in any state
of your life; you must remain a servant. That is your position. When one thinks
artificially that he is master, that is his conditioned life. And when one
voluntarily surrenders to the supreme master, that is his liberation. A devotee
does not try for liberation separately. As soon as he surrenders to Krsna or
Krsna's representative, he is liberated...."

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare
Hare

your servant.....


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear Prabhus,
    Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila
Prabhupada!!!

    As always, all teachings and purports are given perfectly by His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for our eternal benefit.

Darshan : http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Meditation133.html

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

"I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes
with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.
When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this
material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me
shelter under his lotus feet? "

***************************************************
"As long as we are in this material world, there must be calamities because this
is the place of calamity. But even with calamities our business should be to
develop our Krishna consciousness, so that after giving up this body we may go
back home, back to Krishna." (from Teachings of Queen Kunti)

***************************************************
His Divine Grace teaches us in his "Elevation to Krsna Consciousness" , Chapter
Two - "Hard Struggle for Happiness"
"...The parts and parcels are meant to serve the whole, and when they misuse
their independence they are subject to the miseries of the laws of matter, just
as criminals are subject to police action. The state considers its citizens to
be its parts and parcels, and when a citizen misuses his relative independence,
the state puts him under police authority. The life of a citizen outside the
prison and the life of a citizen within the prison are not the same. Similarly,
the sufferings of the living entities within the prison of material nature
cannot be equated with the pastimes of the Supreme Lord which exist in the
absolute freedom of sac-cid-ananda..."

***************************************

Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.35
yaj jnatva na punar moham
evam yasyasi pandava
yena bhutany asesani
draksyasy atmany atho mayi

And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings
are but part of Me--and that they are in Me, and are Mine.

PURPORT - The result of receiving knowledge from a self-realized soul, or one
who knows things as they are, is learning that all living beings are parts and
parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna. The sense of a
separated existence from Krsna is called maya (ma--not, ya--this). Some think
that we have nothing to do with Krsna, that Krsna is only a great historical
personality and that the Absolute is the impersonal Brahman. Factually, as it is
stated in the Bhagavad-gita, this impersonal Brahman is the personal effulgence
of Krsna. Krsna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the cause of
everything. In the Brahma-samhita it is clearly stated that Krsna is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes. Even the millions of
incarnations are only His different expansions. Similarly, the living entities
are also expansions of Krsna. The Mayavadi philosophers wrongly think that Krsna
loses His own separate existence in His many expansions. This thought is
material in nature. We have experience in the material world that a thing, when
fragmentally distributed, loses its own original identity. But the Mayavadi
philosophers fail to understand that A bsolute means that one plus one is equal
to one, and that one minus one is also equal to one. This is the case in the
absolute world.
For want of sufficient knowledge in the absolute science, we are now covered
with illusion, and therefore we think that we are separate from Krsna. Although
we are separated parts of Krsna, we are nevertheless not different from Him. The
bodily difference of the living entities is maya, or not actual fact. We are all
meant to satisfy Krsna. By maya alone Arjuna thought that the temporary bodily
relationship with his kinsmen was more important than his eternal spiritual
relationship with Krsna. The whole teaching of the Gita is targeted toward this
end: that a living being, as His eternal servitor, cannot be separated from
Krsna, and his sense of being an identity apart from Krsna is called maya. The
living entities, as separate parts and parcels of the Supreme, have a purpose to
fulfill. Having forgotten that purpose, since time immemorial, they are situated
in different bodies, as men, animals, demigods, etc. Such bodily differences
arise from forgetfulness of the transcendental service of the Lord. But when one
is engaged in transcendental service through Krsna consciousness, one becomes at
once liberated from this illusion. One can acquire such pure knowledge only from
the bona fide spiritual master and thereby avoid the delusion that the living
entity is equal to Krsna. Perfect knowledge is that the Supreme Soul, Krsna, is
the supreme shelter for all living entities, and giving up such shelter, the
living entities are deluded by the material energy, imagining themselves to have
a separate identity. Thus, under different standards of material identity, they
become forgetful of Krsna. When, however, such deluded living entities become
situated in Krsna consciousness, it is to be understood that they are on the
path of liberation, as confirmed in the Bhagavatam: muktir hitvanyatha-rupam
svarupena vyavasthitih. Liberation means to be situated in one's constitutional
position as the eternal servitor of Krsna (Krsna consciousness).

**********************************************

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1, Chapter 9 , entitled "The passing Away of Bhismadeva
in the presence of Lord Krsna."

19 - O King, Lord Siva, Narada the sage amongst the demigods, and Kapila, the
incarnation of Godhead, all know very confidentially about His glories through
direct contact.

PURPORT - Pure devotees of the Lord are all bhavas, or persons who know the
glories of the Lord in different transcendental loving services. As the Lord has
innumerable expansions of His plenary form, there are innumerable pure devotees
of the Lord, who are engaged in the exchange of service of different humors.
Ordinarily there are twelve great devotees of the Lord, namely Brahma, Narada,
Siva, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada, Bhisma, Janaka, Sukadeva Gosvami, Bali
Maharaja and Yamaraja. Bhismadeva, although one of them, has mentioned only
three important names of the twelve who know the glories of the Lord. Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, one of the great acaryas in the modern age,
explains that anubhava, or the glory of the Lord, is first appreciated by the
devotee in ecstasy manifesting the symptoms of perspiring, trembling, weeping,
bodily eruptions, etc., which are further enhanced by steady understanding of
the glories of the Lord. Such different understandings of bhavas are exchanged
between Yasoda and the Lord (binding the Lord by ropes) and in the chariot
driving by the Lord in the exchange of love with Arjuna. These glories of the
Lord are exhibited in His being subordinated before His devotees, and that is
another feature of the glories of the Lord. Sukadeva Gosvami and the Kumaras,
although situated in the transcendental position, became converted by another
feature of bhava and turned into pure devotees of the Lord. Tribulations imposed
upon the devotees by the Lord constitute another exchange of transcendental
bhava between the Lord and the devotees. The Lord says "I put My devotee into
difficulty, and thus the devotee becomes more purified in exchanging
transcendental bhava with Me." Placing the devotee into material troubles
necessitates delivering him from the illusory material relations. The material
relations are based on reciprocation of material enjoyment, which depends mainly
on material resources. Therefore, when material resources are withdrawn by the
Lord, the devotee is cent percent attracted toward the transcendental loving
service of the Lord. Thus the Lord snatches the fallen soul from the mire of
material existence. Tribulations offered by the Lord to His devotee are
different from the tribulations resulting from vicious action. All these glories
of the Lord are especially known to the great mahajanas like Brahma, Siva,
Narada, Kapila, Kumara and Bhisma, as mentioned above, and one is able to grasp
it by their grace.

**********************************
Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti :   Chapter Six : "Devahuti
Desires Transcendental Knowledge"

TEXT 7 : devahutir uvaca / nirvinna nitaram bhumann / asad-indriya-tarsanat /
yena sambhavyamanena / prapannandham tamah prabho

TRANSLATION : Devahuti said: I am very sick of the disturbance caused by my
material senses, for because of this sense disturbance, my Lord, I have fallen
into the abyss of ignorance

PURPORT - Here, at the beginning of Devahuti's questionings, the word
asad-indriya-tarsanat is significant. Asat means "impermanent," "temporary,"
indriya means "senses," and tarsanat refers to agitation. Thus
asad-indriya-tarsanat means "from being agitated by the temporarily manifest
senses of the material body." We are evolving through different species of
material bodily existence--sometimes in a human body, sometimes in an animal
body--and therefore the engagements of our material senses are also changing.
Anything which changes is called temporary, or asat. We should know that beyond
these temporary senses are our permanent senses, which are now covered by the
material body. The permanent senses, being contaminated by matter, are not
acting properly. Devotional service, therefore, involves freeing the senses from
this contamination. When the contamination is completely removed and the senses
act in the purity of unalloyed Krsna consciousness, we have then attained
sad-indriya, or eternal sense activities. Eternal sensory activities are called
devotional service, whereas temporary sensory activities are called sense
gratification. Unless one becomes tired of material sense gratification, there
is no opportunity to hear transcendental messages from a person like Kapila.
Devahuti expressed that she was tired. Now that her husband had left home, she
wanted to get relief by hearing the instructions of Lord Kapila.

*****************************************

Darshan : http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Deities47.html

******************************************

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Fifth Chapter, "The Glories of Lord
Nityananda Balarama"

1 - Let me offer my obeisances to Lord Sri Nityananda, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, whose opulence is wonderful and unlimited. By His will, even a fool
can understand His identity.

2 - All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. All glories to Lord Nityananda. All
glories to Advaita Acarya. And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.

3 - I have described the glory of Sri Krsna Caitanya in six verses. Now, in five
verses, I shall describe the glory of Lord Nityananda.
*****************************************
"As a result of chanting the Hare Krsna mahamantra, one makes such great
advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence
terminates and he received love of Godhead. The holy name of Krsna is so
powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these
transcendental riches." CC, Adi, 8.28

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare
Hare

your servant.....

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear Prabhus,
    Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila
Prabhupada!!!
    As always, all teachings and purports are given perfectly by His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada for our eternal benefit.

"In my books the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is explained fully so if
there is anything which you do not understand, then you simply have to read
again and again. By reading daily the knowledge will be revealed to you and by
this process your spiritual life will develop."  (from Srila Prabhupada letter
dated November 22, 1974)

Darshan :  http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/meditation38.html

His Divine Grace teaches us in his "Elevation to Krsna Consciousness", Chapter
Two - "Hard Struggle for Happiness"

"...No government wants its citizens to act in such a way that they must go to
prison and suffer tribulations. The prison house is undoubtedly constructed by
the state government, but this does not mean that the government is anxious for
its citizens to be put into it. Indirectly, the disobedient citizens force the
government to construct the prison house. It is not done for the pleasure of the
government, which has to spend a great deal of money in constructing and
maintaining it. On the contrary, the government would be very glad to demolish
prisons altogether provided that there are no disobedient citizens in the state.
In the same way, this material world is created by the Supreme Lord, but the
Supreme Lord does not will that living entities be put in it. The living
entities themselves make that decision. The residents of this material world are
therefore different from those who are eternally engaged in the transcendental
pastimes of the Supreme Lord..."

***************************************

Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.36
api ced asi papebhyah
sarvebhyah papa-krttamah
sarvam jnana-plavenaiva
vrjinam santarisyasi

Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are
situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge, you will be able to cross over
the ocean of miseries.

PURPORT - Proper understanding of one's constitutional position in relationship
to Krsna is so nice that it can at once lift one from the struggle for existence
which goes on in the ocean of nescience. This material world is sometimes
regarded as an ocean of nescience and sometimes as a blazing forest. In the
ocean, however expert a swimmer one may be, the struggle for existence is very
severe. If someone comes forward and lifts the struggling swimmer from the
ocean, he is the greatest savior. Perfect knowledge, received from the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, is the path of liberation. The boat of Krsna
consciousness is very simple, but at the same time the most sublime.

*****************************************
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya
om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1, Chapter 9 , entitled "The passing Away of Bhismadeva
in the presence of Lord Krsna."
20 - O King, that personality whom, out of ignorance only, you thought to be
your maternal cousin, your very dear friend, well-wisher, counselor, messenger,
benefactor, etc., is that very Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.

PURPORT - Lord Sri Krsna, although acting as the cousin, brother, friend,
well-wisher, counselor, messenger, benefactor, etc., of the Pandavas, was still
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of His causeless mercy and favor upon
His unalloyed devotees, He performs all kinds of service, but that does not mean
that He has changed His position as the Absolute Person. To think of Him as an
ordinary man is the grossest type of ignorance.

*****************************************
Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti :   Chapter Six : "Devahuti
Desires Transcendental Knowledge"

"...The Vedic literatures describe this material world as darkness. Actually it
is dark, and therefore we require sunlight, moonlight and electricity. If it
were not by nature dark, why would we require so many arrangements for
artificial light? The Vedas enjoin that we should not remain in darkness: tamasi
ma jyotir gama. We are instructed to go to the light, and that light is the
spiritual world, which is directly lighted by the effulgence, or bodily rays, of
Krsna. As stated in Brahma-samhita (5.40):

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti- / kotisv
asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam

tad brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam / govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with great power. The
glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is the impersonal Brahman, which
is absolute, complete and unlimited and which displays the varieties of
countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions of
universes."..."

*****************************************

Darshan : http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Deities15.html


*****************************************

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Fifth Chapter, "The Glories of Lord
Nityananda Balarama"
4 - The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the fountainhead of all
incarnations. Lord Balarama is His second body.

PURPORT - Lord Sri Krsna, the absolute Personality of Godhead, is the primeval
Lord, the original form of Godhead, and His first expansion is Sri Balarama. The
Personality of Godhead can expand Himself in innumerable forms. The forms that
have unlimited potency are called svamsa, and forms that have limited potencies
(the living entities) are called vibhinnamsa.

5 - They are both one and the same identity. They differ only in form. He is the
first bodily expansion of Krsna, and He assists in Lord Krsna's transcendental
pastimes.

PURPORT - Balarama is a svamsa expansion of the Lord, and therefore there is no
difference in potency between Krsna and Balarama. The only difference is in
Their bodily structure. As the first expansion of Godhead, Balarama is the chief
Deity among the first quadruple forms, and He is the foremost assistant of Sri
Krsna in His transcendental activities.

6 - That original Lord Krsna appeared in Navadvipa as Lord Caitanya, and
Balarama appeared with Him as Lord Nityananda.

******************************************
( the following conversation is published in  the book "Perfect Questions -
Perfect Answers" )

Bob: When I pray reverently, faithfully, does Krsna hear me?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

Bob: From me to Him?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, because He is within your heat He is always hearing
you--whether you are praying or not praying. When you are doing some nonsense,
He is also hearing you. And when you pray, that is very good--welcome.

Bob: To Krsna's ear, is praying louder than nonsense?

Srila Prabhupada: No. He is all-perfect. He can hear everything. Even if you
don't speak, even if you simply think, "I shall do it," then He hears you.
Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah: Krsna is seated in everyone's heart.

Bob: But one should pray--is that so?

Srila Prabhupada: That is his business--praying.

Bob: Whose business?

Srila Prabhupada: Every living entity's. That is the only business. Eko bahunam
yo vidadhati kaman. That is the statement of the Vedas.

Bob: What does that mean?

Srila Prabhupada: He supplies everything to everyone. He is supplying food to
everyone. So He is the Father. So why should you not pray, "Father, give me
this"? Just as in the Christian Bible there is, "Father, give us our daily
bread." That is good--they are accepting the Supreme Father. But grown-up
children should not ask from the father; rather, they should be prepared to
serve the father. That is bhakti [devotion].


Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare
Hare

your servant.....

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

"In the Beginning -- Krishna's Word"
       June 15, 1974
       listen


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       Srila Prabhupada: The democracy also is described. In Kali-yuga.
       Satsvarupa: Eleventh Canto?

       Prabhupada: In Twelfth Canto. [break] ...it is stated.

       tasmat ksudra-drso martyah

       ksudra-bhagya mahasanah

       kamino vitta-hinas ca

       svairinyas ca striyo 'satih

       "Gradually people will become dwarf, will die very soon, mostly
unfortunate, eating too much, and very much sexually agitated, no money, and
independent, and the women, all unchaste." Just see. Everything's coming true.
Rajan,

       rajanas ca praja-bhaksah

       sisnodara-para dvijah

       dasyutkrsta janapada

       vedah pasanda-dusitah

       "The cities will be full of rogues and thieves." Just see.

       Yogesvara: That's Paris.

       Prabhupada: Anywhere. In Calcutta it was dangerous to go out because the
next... You do not know whether you'll come back. People are so afraid. He's
going to work in the office. It will be God's grace if he returns back. It is
such a city. Actually so happened. We were sitting, I was at that time in a... I
was guest in our life member's. Sitting in morning, afternoon, o'clock (?). "Oh,
that gentleman is killed." He was very important businessman. He went to the
temple, a Marwari, and on his coming back, he was killed from the backside. Life
is still so, but it is little diminished. [break] ...about so-called saintly
persons, they are: tapasvino grama-vasah. "The so-called yogis, they'll live in
the town." Actually, the yogis have no business in the town. They should go to a
secluded place. But they will live in... Just like the other... He's living in
Paris City, and he's a yogi.

       Yogesvara: This is all from the Twelfth Canto?

       Prabhupada: Yes. Foretold, five thousand years ago. Here said, tapasvino
grama-vasa nyasino 'tyartha-lolupah: "And the sannyasis, they'll be too much
greedy about money."

       Yogesvara: Just see.

       Prabhupada: Yes.

       hrasva-kaya mahahara

       bhury-apatya gata-hriyah

       sasvat katuka-bhasinyas

       caurya-mayoru-sahasah

       Patim tyaksyanti nirdravyam bhrtya apy akhilottamam. "The natural tendency
will be to give up, divorce, husband, especially when he has no sufficient
money." The wife will divorce. Or the husband has no sex power. The wife... The
divorce case takes place in two: when the sex indulgence is not very good, and
when the husband has no money. Here it is:

       vaso 'nna-pana-sayana-

       vyavaya-snana-bhusanaih

       hinah pisaca-sandarsa

       bhavisyanti kalau prajah

       "In the Kali-yuga, the general public, having no residence, vasa," you
see. I was surprised when I saw in the beginning that they are lying down on the
street in the Bowery. They have no place. They pay one dollar, and the Lion's...
What is that?

       Satsvarupa: Salvation Army.

       Prabhupada: No, no, no. The Lions...

       Yogesvara: Lion's Club?

       Prabhupada: Lion's Range, or something. They give shelter at night. They
pay one dollar and lie down. And morning, they go away. There I have seen many
signboards in Bowery Street.

       Yogesvara: They call them "Flophouses".

       Prabhupada: Anyway. So vasah anna. Food. Vasah anna. Vasa means residence.
Anna means food. Pana means drinking, milk or water or whatever. You require
something drinking. And sayana, sleeping or lying down on bed. Vasa, anna, pana,
sayana, and vyavaya, sex. Sex also required. Vyavaya, snana. I have seen in New
York. They have no... In a humbug, they have no place for taking bath. They have
to go elsewhere. Sometimes some friends come to take bath. The, our students,
they were coming to take bath in my bathroom. So snana. So these things, nil.
"When these things will be nil," vasa, anna, pana, sayana, vyavaya, snana,
bhusanaih, "and dress," hinah, "being devoid of all these things,"
pisaca-sandarsa bhavisyanti, "they will be just like, what is called, urchins."

       Yogesvara: Pisaci.

       Prabhupada: These hippies, they are exactly this. They have no place to
sleep, no nothing of the sort and looking like big, big hair. Pisaci. Pisaca.
What is the English?

       Nitai: Ghost?

       Prabhupada: Ghost, yes. Ghost, yes. Ghost-like. Hinah pisaca-sandarsa
bhavisyanti kalau prajah: "In the Kali-yuga, the prajah, people in general,
devoid of residence and proper food, then proper drinking, resting place or sex
or bathing and dress, they'll look like ghost." Then?

       kalau kakinike 'py arthe

       vigrhya ca tyakta-sauhrdah

       tyaksyanti ca priyan pranan

       hanisyanti svakan api

       "In the Kali-yuga, for a cent, for the matter of taking a cent only he'll
give up his friendship with others. And even his own man, family man, relative,
he'll kill him to take that two cent or five cents." Na raksisyanti manujah
sthavirau pitarav api.

       Satsvarupa: The guests are here.

       Nitai: There are many guests here to see you.

       Prabhupada: Yes, yes. "Even they'll not give protection old parents."

       Yogesvara: To old parents.

       Prabhupada: Old parents. (guests come in) Hare Krsna. Jaya. Thank you.
Hare Krsna.

       Jyotirmayi (translator): So I'd like to introduce you to these gentlemen
and these ladies. He is... He's called Pere Canivez. Pere Canivez, here, and he
is the Secretary of the Bishops of France, and he would like to come and discuss
with you. Here is the Pere Fransad. He's a Christian priest also who, that I
knew and so by his help Pere Canivez came. And he'd like to come with this lady
who's come, Madame Siaude. She's living in India usually.

       Prabhupada: Oh, you live in India?

       Madame Siaude: Yeah, in the French part of, far eastern state, in
Pondicherry.

       Prabhupada: Pondicherry?

       Madame Siaude: Yes.

       Prabhupada: Oh, Aurobindo's place.

       Madame Siaude: Yes, I have been there a long time.

       Jyotirmayi: And she was studying with M. Laconde, this gentleman who came
yesterday. She's very much studying Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya...

       Prabhupada: Hm. Vaisnava philosophy.

       Jyotirmayi: Vaisnava philosophy. And we'd like to invite also M. Misraki.
He's a compositor of music, but he also wrote book on life after death and many
different things. So he was interested to come also. So they all came together.

       Prabhupada: So they are all nice gentlemen and ladies. It is...

       Jyotirmayi: And very interesting too, that the first question, one of the
first questions that Pere Fransad asked me, was: "Do you believe in love of God,
and that God is a person? Some people say that God is not a person, and we say
God is a person."

       Bhagavan: So you can translate in French so that they can understand.

       Prabhupada: At least Christians cannot believe in impersonal God.

       Jyotirmayi: What?

       Prabhupada: Christians, they cannot say that God is impersonal. (French)
Because, because Christ is son of God. So the son is person. How the Father can
be imperson? And in the Bible it is said, "There was word in the beginning."
That is God's word. So if one has a word, then He's a person. Word comes from
the tongue and mouth. As soon as there is word, background is tongue and mouth.
And then... The Christians pray in the church, "Oh, God, give us our daily
bread." So God has got ear so that He will hear and supply. But His personality,
His word, His hearing, they're all transcendental, nonmaterial. (French)

       Jyotirmayi: So he says he agrees on this point. As you say, God is... We
have a personal relationship with God.

       Prabhupada: Yes, God is person. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]. Absolute Truth is realized from three angles of vision, Brahman,
Paramatma and Bhagavan. Bhagavan is person, and Paramatma, all-pervading,
localized, and Brahman, impersonal. Just like the sunshine is impersonal the sun
globe, localized, and the sun-god person. [break]

       Jyotirmayi: He says he's accepting some of the things you are saying, but
he's doesn't think that he's obliged to accept everything.

       Prabhupada: Huh? Yes. Everything is emanation from God. That is our
Vedanta-sutra. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Whatever things are there... In
the Bible, also there is... "Everything comes from Him, what is made."
Yesterday, we were reading? Yes. So whatever is created, that is made out of
God. And the Vedic injunction is sarvam khalv idam brahma: "Everything is
Brahman, the Supreme Brahman." So the impersonal feature is an expansion of
God's energy. Just like the sunshine is expansion of the energy of sun, so the
sunshine is resting on the bodily rays of the sun-god. Therefore in the
Bhagavad-gita, it is said, brahmanah aham pratistha. The resting place of the
impersonal Brahman is God, Krsna. Find out this verse, brahmanah aham pratistha.

       Nitai: Brahmanah aham...

       brahmano hi pratisthaham

       amrtasyavyayasya ca

       sasvatasya ca dharmasya

       sukhasyaikantikasya ca

       "I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional
position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and
eternal."

       Prabhupada: Purport.

       Nitai: "The constitution of Brahman..."

       Prabhupada: Oh, oh. You have to explain.

       Pusta-krsna: I'll get another.

       Bhagavan: In the meantime, we can translate from here.

       Jyotirmayi: He's asking when, how old are the oldest of the Vedic
scriptures.

       Prabhupada: Eh?

       Jyotirmayi: He's asking how old are the...

       Yogesvara: How old are the Vedas?

       Prabhupada: Vedas?

       Yogesvara: These Vedic scriptures, we are reading, how are old are they,
he's asking.

       Prabhupada: They are from the creation. Tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye.
Find out this verse. Janmady asya yatah anvayat itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah
svarat tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah [SB 1.1.1]. Find out
this verse.

       Nitai:

       janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat

       tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah

       tejo-vari-mrdam yatha vinimayo yatra tri-sargo 'mrsa

       dhamna svena sada nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhimahi

        [SB 1.1.1]

       Prabhupada: Now who will translate? You, one by one, line, the translation
you speak.

       Nitai: O.K. "I offer my obeisances unto Lord Sri Krsna, the son of
Vasudeva, who is the Supreme, All-pervading Personality of Godhead. I meditate
upon Him, the transcendent reality, who is the primeval cause of all causes,
from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they dwell, and by whom they
are destroyed. I meditate upon that eternally effulgent Lord who is directly and
indirectly conscious of all manifestations and yet is beyond them. It is He only
who first imparted the Vedic knowledge into the heart of Brahma."

       Prabhupada: And this is Vedic knowledge.

       Nitai: "Who is the first created living being."

       Prabhupada: You read another verse, aham adir hi devanam maharsinam ca [Bg
10.2]. Aham adir hi devanam. (loud noise in background) Never mind, never mind.
Don't bother. That's all right.

       Nitai: Oh, from the Bhagavad-gita? Aham...?

       Prabhupada: Aham adir hi devanam. In the Bible it is said, "There was
word." That is Vedic knowledge.

       Nitai: Aham adir hi devanam maharsinam ca sarvasah: "Neither the hosts of
demigods nor the sages know My origin for in every respect, I am the source of
the demigods and the sages."

       Yogesvara: You said also in the Bible it is said, "There is the word."

       Prabhupada: That word, sound, is the Vedas. So before creation, Vedas were
there. So you cannot find out the history of Vedas. You find out the history
where the creation began. Then, before that, Vedas were there. (French)

       Yogesvara: He (the Bishop) says that he finds many things agreeable in
this Vedic tradition, but he says that he thinks it might be a mistake to say
that the Bible is exactly the same thing as the Vedas. He says there are still
distinctions.

       Prabhupada: Then, then, distinction, then it is to be considered which is
perfect, the later edition or the original. (French)

       Jyotirmayi: They are saying that according to their understanding, God
revealed Himself little by little, and then at certain moment, He revealed
Himself in His totality. But in the Vedic literature, there it is said that the
whole knowledge was given at the beginning. Everything together. He said that
he's very much respecting your research, and that he's asking that we should not
say that these two research in Christianism and the Vedas, the scriptures, are
the same. They are two different things. (French)

       Yogesvara: He says, for example, the verse you read yesterday, that was
similar to what is taught in the Vedas, but if we take the rest of that chapter
from the Bible, we find some discrepancies, differences.

       Prabhupada: What is that? (French)

       Yogesvara: For example, in that chapter, it also says that the word of God
became flesh and that flesh was the son of God, Lord Jesus Christ.

       Prabhupada: But that means Jesus Christ is transcendental, not of this
material world. (French)

       Yogesvara: They say... They accept... They think that Lord Jesus, however,
was a human being. He was spiritual, but also he was part of this material
world.

       Prabhupada: No, material world is part of Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ
is not part of material world. (French)

       Yogesvara: He says that they had a human body, he had a material body.

       Prabhupada: That human body appears like that, but he had no this material
flesh and blood. A material body, how there can be resurrection?

       Yogesvara: If it was material body, how is it possible for him to be
resurrected? (French)

       Prabhupada: Is that all right?

       Jyotirmayi: They said it is by the acintya power of God.

       Prabhupada: These, these rascals, they thought that "Jesus had a material
body. Let us kill him." So Jesus Christ bewildered them more, to remain rascal,
that they will continue to think that Jesus had a material body.

       Jyotirmayi: Bewildered them?

       Yogesvara: Yes, he bewildered them more by saying: "All right, go on
thinking like that."

       Prabhupada: That is their punishment. They remain always in darkness that
Jesus had a material body. (French)

       Jyotirmayi: So he's saying that he respects your explanation, but that the
Christians, they have another explanation, and that if we...

       Prabhupada: But we must come to the reason before giving explanation. You
cannot explain...

       Yogesvara: What is the reason for his incarnation?

       Prabhupada: You cannot explain whimsically. You cannot explain
whimsically. If Jesus Christ is son of God, he has... That means he has got
spiritual body. You...

       French Woman: Yes, we accept that he got the has got spiritual body, but
we say that he assumed also a material body.

       Prabhupada: Now, then, then, another thing is: you accept Jesus Christ the
only son of God, is it not? So when you pray in the church, you address God, "Oh
Father." Then why "only son"?

       French Woman: We say that the son is...

       Prabhupada: Then everyone is son.

       French Woman: Yes, we say that this is the same God, yes.

       Prabhupada: If I address God, "My father," then I am his son. So why there
should be "only son"? (French)

       French Woman: Yes, we say that we are adopted sons. (laughter) (French)

       Jyotirmayi: They say that they are sons, that all living beings are sons,
but by adoption.

       Yogesvara: Adopted son. Yes.

       Prabhupada: So therefore these sons' body and Jesus's body cannot be
equal. So adopted son has got material body, not the real son. (French)

       Yogesvara: Their idea is that: Yes, of course, Lord Jesus, being the son
of God, his body is spiritual, but because he wanted to take part in the life of
the human beings on earth, he actually accepted a material body just to live
among men.

       Prabhupada: Why he should accept?

       French Woman: But we have a vesper that says that he was died, that he was
suffering, and things which show that...

       Prabhupada: But his death... You think that he was died, but he
resurrected.

       French Woman: But the gospel says that he had died.

       Prabhupada: That's all right.

       French Woman: You cannot... We accept the totality of the word, as you
accept your word.

       Prabhupada: No. No, no. "Died" means that is similar death. Janma karma me
divyam [Bg. 4.9]. Just like Christ take birth from the womb of Mary. It appears
like that, but actually that is not. (French)

       French Woman: No, it is very important that the death of Christ is a real
death. For us, it is the center of our faith.

       Yogesvara: They say that the central point of their philosophy is that
Lord Jesus actually died. (French)

       Prabhupada: No, according to Vedic conception, even ordinary living being,
he does not die. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. You understand
Sanskrit?

       French Woman: No, I don't understand it by hearing it. You have to read
it.

       Prabhupada: Na hanyate, does not die, hanyamane sarire, apparently, the
body being dead, the soul is never dead. (French)

       Yogesvara: So... Shall I explain that one? What the good Pastor -- are
they called Pastor? -- describes is that in order for there to be a dialogue, we
have to respect each others' positions, not that we will try to convert the
other. He says just as we respect you have an absolute faith in the Vedic
philosophy, so also there must be respect that the Christian interpretation of
the life of Lord Jesus and his death...

       Prabhupada: Oh, I think I have better respect than him to Jesus Christ. I
say he does not die. He says he dies. (French) So far respect is concerned, I
have more respect than them. They want to see Jesus Christ dead. I don't want to
see him dead.

       French Woman: No. Death and resurrection after, Jesus.

       Yogesvara: There's a resurrection.

       Prabhupada: Yes.

       Yogesvara: Excuse me. Perhaps at this time we can introduce Madame, Madame
Devi?

       Jyotirmayi: So we'd like to introduce Mrs. Devi, who came here also to
meet you. She's a very wonderful lady. She's writing a dictionary of mysticism,
and she did the whole first part on Western religions, and now she wants to do
the following part on the Eastern religions. So she would like very much to talk
in this book about ourselves, about the movement of Hare Krsna which is a big
part of the Oriental religions.

       Prabhupada: Hmm. Recently, there was a historical excavation that Jesus
Christ did not die, and he, after crucification, he was taken to Kashmir.

       Yogesvara: Kashmir?

       Prabhupada: Yes. (French)

       Yogesvara: Where was this? In a newspaper?

       Prabhupada: Yes. In paper I saw. (French)

       French Woman: But we are not under historical literally. We try to speak
of mystical experience. This is exactly the subject of, that we did. We cannot
discuss history because everybody has his own documentation.

       Prabhupada: Yes. So I was very much pleased because I was very sorry that
Jesus Christ was crucified. But when I heard this historical discovery, I was
very satisfied. But one thing is that... Here, at least, in London, I have seen.
There are so many churches vacant. (French)

       Yogesvara: He says he was at your conference, last night and he was there
when you described how human life is meant for knowing God. So now he wishes to
ask you a question: What is our process for coming to know God?

       Prabhupada: That is very simple. It is not at all difficult. Just like in
your body, you are, the soul, important active principle... (to Jyotirmayi:)
Explain. (French) Similarly, this huge, gigantic, cosmic manifestation must have
some active principle. That is God. So where is the difficulty to understand
God? (French)

       Yogesvara: For example, in our prayers, in our studies, what is our...

       Prabhupada: Now first of all, let us understand what is God. Then prayer.
If you do not understand God, then what you'll prayer? If we understand that
there is the active principle, then the prayer we have already described,
janmady asya yatah anvayat itaratas carthesu abhijnah: [SB 1.1.1] "I pray to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead Vasudeva who is the origin of all creation." This
is the active principle. There is. So... And how He is working? (To Jyotirmayi:)
You have to explain. (French) In the beginning of Bhagavatam, I offering the
prayer. So the process is that I offer my all respect to the Absolute Truth,
Supreme Truth, from whom the creation has taken place, everything is resting,
working nicely, and after annihilation, it will go there. And when you study
what is the nature of the original source, it is said, abhijnah, cognizant. He
knows everything. Just like I am the owner of this body, I, the soul, but still,
I do not know how the body is working. I am eating, but I do not know how my
eatables transformed into secretion, then goes to the heart, then... Of course,
they have discovered something, but not fully. So I do not know what is going in
within my body. I do not know how many hairs are there. But God knows
everything, nook and corner of the whole universe. But if we compare ourself
with God, that is impossible, because naturally we get knowledge from others, we
may question, "Wherefrom God got knowledge?" Therefore it is stated there,
svarat. He hasn't got to take knowledge from anyone else. He's independently
full of knowledge. (French)

       Pusta-krsna: That would be impersonal. (French)

       Prabhupada: On the other hand, he imparted knowledge to Brahma, the first
creation of this universe. That knowledge is called Vedic knowledge. That means
Vedic knowledge is coming from God. And it is being distributed through Brahma.
And he's so mysterious that even learned scholars become bewildered to
understand Him. And this material world, although it is temporary, it appears to
be fact on account of energy, being energy of God. (French)

       Yogesvara: She says that God is known as antaryami, the witness in the
heart. Does that mean that we can have a direct experience of God without going
through the scriptures.

       Prabhupada: Yes. That is the practice of yoga. (French)

       French Woman: I guess if you have the idea of prapatti, of surrender...

       Prabhupada: Yes.

       French Woman: ...this is a way to God directly.

       Prabhupada: Yes, that is... That is the real process.

       French Woman: But it is not yoga. It is different from yoga?

       Prabhupada: No, it is bhakti-yoga.

       French Woman: Prapatti is different.

       Prabhupada: Prapatti is bhakti-yoga.

       French Woman: You take it in bhakti?

       Prabhupada: Bhakti, yes. Prapatti means bhakti. Just like I can surrender
unto you when I have got full faith and devotion unto you. Otherwise, I cannot.
That is wanted. If we simply surrender to God, then everything is complete.
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita, the prapati is described, bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19], this word: "After many, many births of
philosophical speculation or personal endeavor to understand what is God, when
he's actually wise, he surrenders unto Me." And it is said next line, vasudevah
sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah: [Bg. 7.19] "Vasudeva, Krsna, is everything."
When he understands this, then his knowledge is perfect. But such kind of
mahatma, great soul, is very rare to be seen." (French)

       Jyotirmayi: So she said that in..., it is also explained that those who
are not intelligent enough to study, or who are out of caste, so they cannot,
they don't have the right to study, then it is said that they can attain God
directly by surrendering unto God.

       Prabhupada: Yes, certainly. It does not require education, knowledge or
anything. If he agrees to surrender to the lotus feet of God, then his life is
perfect. That is stated in the Vedic literature, naradita yadi hari sthapasata
tat kim (?). "If one has surrendered himself to the lotus feet of God and
worshiped Him, there is no more need of austerity and penances." And naradita
yadi hari sthapasata tat kim (?). "If one has not learned how to surrender to
God and worship Him, then all his austerities, knowledge, are useless."
Antar-bahih yadi hari sthapasata tat kim (?), "If one can see God within and
outside, then where is the necessity of austerity?" And naradita..., nan tad
yadi bahi hari sthapasata tat (?), "If one has not learned to see God within and
without, then where is the value of his austerity and penances?" Therefore God
realization is the only business of the human being. (French)

       Jyotirmayi: So they agree totally with what you said. (French)

       Yogesvara: (Translating) Well, first you said that, first we must learn
about God and then we will know how to pray to God, but now you say that if one
surrenders to God, one has no need to learn about Him first.

       Prabhupada: But unless one... We say, "Unless you have learned what is
God." That means you have to learn God. Then religion... Religion means... What
does he say?

       Yogesvara: He says, "But God reveals Himself to us."

       Prabhupada: Yes, that is fact. If you are actually devotee, then God will
reveal. That is... That is stated in the Vedic language, atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih: [Brs. 1.2.234] "You cannot understand the form,
name, attributes, pastimes of God by these blunt senses." These senses, present
(the ten) senses, cannot realize. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam
indriyaih. Indriya means sense. Then how to realize? Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau.
When you begin service with your tongue, then gradually God reveals. So tongue
means you can do two business with the tongue. One is talking, and one is
eating. So if you engage your tongue in glorifying God, and if you eat God's
prasadam, then you realize God. Therefore these young boys and girls from Europe
and America, they have been, they are being taught, "Use the tongue for Krsna.
Chant Hare Krsna, and eat Krsna prasadam." And as practical result, although
they are very young, still, they have realized God, Krsna, far advanced than
anyone else. They have forgotten all material things: illicit sex, meat-eating,
intoxication, gambling. They are simply devoted in the service of Krsna. So
because they have engaged their tongue in chanting Hare Krsna mantra, they have
forgotten all kinds of intoxication, meat-eating. The American Government spent
millions of dollars to stop their LSD habit. They could not stop even one man.
But as soon as they come to Krsna conscious, immediately give up. (French)

       Jyotirmayi: They say they are very glad for all of this.

       Prabhupada: Thank you very much. So let us join together and push on this
movement. (French) Chanting the holy name of God. You don't... I don't say that
you take Krsna, the name of... If you have got any other name, you can chant.
(French)

       Yogesvara: So he says, therefore, as you are glorifying God, we hope you
will think of us just as when we glorify God, we will think of you.

       Prabhupada: Thank you very much.

       Jyotirmayi: He was very sad yesterday when there was some people making
noises.

       Prabhupada: Yes, that is the difficulty. They are... Gradually, the
population of the world are becoming urchins.

       Pusta-krsna: Urchins. Very degraded.

       Jyotirmayi: (French)

       Prabhupada: That I was discussing from Bhagavatam, how people will degrade
in this age. And this is due to lack of God consciousness. (French)

       Yogesvara: He says your lecture yesterday evening was very objectionable
to many of the young people who made so much disruption. They found many of the
things you were discussing...

       Prabhupada: Because the young people gradually degrading. They do not
acknowledge authority. (French)

       Yogesvara: Yes. When they saw how much we were speaking authoritative,
they rejected it. They reacted.

       Prabhupada: So that is their degradation, due to degradation. They cannot
accept any authority. And knowledge cannot advance without authority. (French)
But one thing I may say that the disobedience to the authority has begun from
their fathers.

       Yogesvara: From?

       Prabhupada: From their fathers. Yes. Because in the Bible it is said,
"Thou shalt not kill," and their fathers indulge in killing business. So
naturally their generation has degraded. (French)

       Bhagavan: What did he say?

       Yogesvara: He said whether there was much discussion after the meeting
last night.

       Bhagavan: Oh, yes. There was...

       Yogesvara: Yes, they stayed until midnight.

       Bhagavan: The total attendance yesterday was close to two thousand people.
And at least one thousand people stayed until twelve o'clock.

       Prabhupada: Accha? Twelve o'clock.

       Bhagavan: Oh, yes. The manager of the hall was pleading with us to ask
them to leave. He wanted to go home. (French)

       Yogesvara: He says that's very good that so many stayed to find out more
information, to ask, to discuss.

       Prabhupada: Yes, any reasonable man will find subject matter interesting.
There is a statement of Caitanya-caritamrta, sri-krsna-caitanya-daya karaha
vicara: [Cc. Adi 8.15] "Just consider and then give your judgement after
studying the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu." It is never recommended to take
it blindly. Karaha vicara: "Just judge with reason and argument." And vicara
karile citte pabe camatkara: "If you consider it with logic and judgement, then
you'll find it is sublime." (French)

       Bhagavan: So an interpretation of a scripture, whether it be Bible or
Bhagavad-gita, cannot simply be an opinion, but it must be based on logic and
reason.

       Prabhupada: Yes. Just like in the Bible it is said, "There was only word
in the beginning." So in the beginning, there was word. That means that word is
not the word of this material creation.

       Yogesvara: Just like these Guru Maharajis. They say you cannot chant the
name Krsna because it's simply a material sound. They say the name is material.

       Prabhupada: That's it. The rascal does not understand what is this sound.
He does not see that there was word before creation.

       Pusta-krsna: Also in Revelation in the Bible it states that in the
spiritual world there is no need for sun and moon...

       Prabhupada: Yes.

       Pusta-krsna: ...because the body of God is giving off light.

       Prabhupada: No, the residents also, they are bright.

       Pusta-krsna: Yes, illuminating.

       Prabhupada: Just like in the sun planet, all the inhabitants, they are
fiery body. (French)

       Jyotirmayi: They said that they told me before they came that they could
stay only one hour, so now they to take...

       Prabhupada: Accha? One hour we have passed? Thank you very much. Hare
Krsna. Thank you. Hare Krsna. Distribute this flower. Come on.

       Yogesvara: Bring the chair so that she can sit. (some guests leave)

       American man: I would like to ask you what you think of the Hebraic
Kabbalah. I would like to ask you what you think of the Hebraic Kabbalah.

       Prabhupada: I do not know. What is that?

       Yogesvara: He asked, "Do you have an opinion on the Hebrew scripture, the
Kabbalah?"

       Prabhupada: No, I have neither read it, I do not know it. I do not know.

       Yogesvara: Oh, Madame Devi doesn't have much time. Perhaps she had some...

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Prthu Putra: She'd like to know about the problem of death, what's
happening at the time of death.

       Prabhupada: Yes. So as you prepare yourself... Because... Just like in
dream we think what we have actually performed, similarly, the mental condition
at the time of death will be prepared as we are doing in our usual life. Do you
understand English? (French)

       American Man: I'm American.

       Prabhupada: Oh, that's nice.

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Prthu Putra: She believes that the thoughts are more important than the
acts.

       Yogesvara: Thoughts. She asks, she says, "Perhaps thoughts are more
important than actions."

       Prabhupada: Yes. Thoughts are the subtle action. (French)

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Prthu Putra: She says, "Compared to the problem of the Bayonne, what's
happened in Bayonne, the thoughts are more important than the action because the
thoughts..."

       Bhagavan: "The thoughts begin the action."

       Yogesvara: "The thoughts begin the action, determine the actions."

       Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore we give thoughts beyond your present thoughts
from the authoritative Vedic scripture.

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Yogesvara: "Do you think that in the future all religions and all these
spiritual groups will come together and form one group."

       Prabhupada: There is no "all religion." There is only one religion. One
who deviates, he creates another religion. Religion means there is God and we
should be obedient to God. This is religion.

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Jyotirmayi: She says, "Therefore is not necessary to go by one's special
path?"

       Prabhupada: No, there is no special path. There is only one path, that
"God is there, God is great, and we are all subordinate to God." That's all. No,
if you... They accept this?

       American Man: I think that each man finds his own way, and that some
people, because of the blood they have and because of who they have been before,
can go...

       Prabhupada: No, no, do you accept this principle, that "God is great, and
we are all subordinate to Him"?

       American Man: My principle is the light, that there is only the light. If
some people wish to call it God, they can call it God.

       Prabhupada: Yes.

       American Man: If they wish to call it Jesus Christ, they can call it...

       Prabhupada: No, we, we, we also say that. We are all life, and God is the
supreme life. That's all.

       American Man: God, for me, is a word. It's a word which no one can
understand, which no one can say what is God.

       Prabhupada: Simply you understand.

       American Man: I understand the light.

       Prabhupada: No, no, you understand. You say, "God is word." That means you
understand God.

       American Man: No.

       Prabhupada: Then why do you say, "God is word"?

       American Man: I say God cannot be explained with words.

       Prabhupada: No, no, why do you say? If you do not know God, how do you say
like that?

       American Man: Because I...

       Prabhupada: If you do not know the subject matter... You say that "God is
not knowable," then how can you speak of God?

       American Man: I do not speak of God.

       Prabhupada: No, you are speaking that "God is word." You say, "God is
word."

       American Man: No, I say God is only a word, and that's why I cannot speak
of God, because it's a word and it cannot explain.

       Prabhupada: But you have got this word. Why you speak all these
contradictory things?

       American Man: No. I say that I cannot speak of God because it is a word...

       Prabhupada: That means you do not know what is God. First of all accept.

       American Man: It is light. I speak of the light.

       Prabhupada: Then, then you know God. You say either way, that you know...
Sometimes you say you do not know; sometimes you say you know.

       American Man: No, no, no.

       Prabhupada: Yes.

       Bhagavan: Sometimes you say you know the light. That means you know God.
For you, God is light.

       American Man: If you wish to call it "God..." No, no, no, no. I say it
once. I will say it once and once only.

       Prabhupada: Now, now, you say that God is light.

       American Man: So we'll understand.

       Prabhupada: Do you say, "God is light"?

       American Man: Yes.

       Prabhupada: Then you know God. Then why do you say, "God cannot be known"?

       American Man: I say that "God" is a word.

       Prabhupada: You say, "light" or "word." What is the... What is the
definite...

       American Man: I believe in what I feel right here, and that is God for me.

       Prabhupada: That means you feel sometimes something else. That is God.

       American Man: I feel the light here.

       Prabhupada: Anywhere you feel, the first of all let us know...

       American Man: I feel the light here.

       Prabhupada: Yes, anywhere. Light is here also.

       American Man: And that's all there is.

       Prabhupada: That is... That is all right. Light is here also, not only...

       American Man: Light is here. Light is this table.

       Prabhupada: Yes. Yes.

       American Man: Light is this floor. Light is everything.

       Prabhupada: So that's all right. Then why do you say that you do not know
God? You know God is light.

       American Man: Because for me, God is merely a word. How can you explain
God with a word?

       Yogesvara: I think you've been defeated.

       American Man: No, no, I don't think I've been defeated.

       Prabhupada: Yes.

       American Man: And I'm not warring. I'm not making war with you. I simply
want to understand...

       Prabhupada: No, no, you... You fix up one thing. You say, "God is light."
That word light is God? Or that...

       American Man: I do not say God is light.

       Prabhupada: Yes, you said that.

       American Man: I say there is only light. I say there is only light.

       Prabhupada: Only light?

       American Man: Yes.

       Prabhupada: So that is God.

       American Man: I do not speak of God; I speak of light.

       Prabhupada: Then you do not know God. You accept one position.

       American Man: I say there is light.

       Prabhupada: That's all right. But you do not know whether light is God.

       American Man: What is God? Explain to me what is God.

       Prabhupada: (aside:) Talk with him. He'll simply waste my time.

       American Man: If you can explain to me what is God, I would appreciate it.

       Prabhupada: Just go and take him. You go and he'll explain to you, please.

       American Man: He cannot explain to me.

       Prabhupada: Then you go away. Please. What can I do?

       American Man: It's as you wish.

       Prabhupada: I cannot waste.

       American Man: If you cannot explain to me what is God... I speak of light,
so...

       Prabhupada: But you know everything. What can I explain? You know
everything.

       American Man: I speak of light. I don't say I know everything, but I speak
of light, that's all. That's all I said.

       Dhananjaya: You're wasting our spiritual master's time. What is the point
in coming here if you're just going to talk nonsense? Please come.

       American Man: Oh, I'll come. (leaves)

       Bhagavan: Why was he brought in in the first place. Anyway, we can
continue, but...

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Yogesvara: "Is there some, any qualities, in the sense that some people
have more receptivity towards the divine than other people?"

       Prabhupada: Yes. That I explained, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna.
Those who are in sattva-guna, they can understand easily. Those who are in
rajo-guna, they have got difficulty. And those who are in tamo-guna, they
cannot. (French)

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Yogesvara: "Is this degree of covering, whether they are in goodness, in
passion or in ignorance, is that a question of their physical body? Is it a
question of their hormones or chemical state? Is it a chemical state that some
people are more covered than others by the modes of nature?"

       Prabhupada: Covered means with some dirty things. That's all.

       Yogesvara: By past karma.

       Prabhupada: Just like the sun is covered with the cloud. That list is like
that.

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Yogesvara: She asks if by repeating the mantra, the name of God, it has
more...

       Prabhupada: You become purified. Purified.

       Yogesvara: You give the example all the time of the more you polish the
mirror, the more the light can shine. (French)

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Prthu Putra: She says, "Therefore we have to repeat a lot of times the
name of God every day."

       Prabhupada: Hm. Yes.

       Madame Devi: (French)

       Prthu Putra: She is very happy to meet you and she thanks you.

       Prabhupada: Thank you very much.

       Pusta-krsna: Tell her also that at the time of death one who fixes the
mind on the name of God will go back to God.

       Madame Devi: Hare Krsna.

       Prabhupada: Hare Krsna.

       Bhagavan: So it's time for Srila Prabhupada's massage. [break]

       Prabhupada: In old age he'll be crippled like that. Then he said that "I
am also going to be like that? No. What is the value?" Then he began meditation,
how to stop old age. Then he gradually became very great, saintly person, and
studied Veda, karma, and by bad karma, one becomes subjected with material
tribulation, and the most of the bad karma, he thought, was killing of animals,
so he wanted to stop this. That is Buddha's... "Stop animal killing."
Sadaya-hrdaya darsita-pasu-ghatam.

       Yogesvara: He's visnu-tattva?

       Prabhupada: No, he's not visnu-tattva. He's jiva-tattva.

       Yogesvara: Saktyavesavatara.

       Prabhupada: Hm.

       Devotee: Did you say three? One or three?

       Prabhupada: What is that?

       Devotee: When you offer something... You once said in Delhi, "Either one
or three."

       Prabhupada: That is neck bead. No. Yes. Yes, not... Yes, yes. Arati.
Arati.

       Devotee: Yes, Srutakirti had offered my son two cookies.

       Prabhupada: No, no.

       Devotee: And I think you said, "Either one or three."

       Prabhupada: No, no. I said...

       Devotee: Two or four?

       Prabhupada: Two or four.

       Devotee: Is there some reason behind this?

       Prabhupada: Yes. Three is offered to the enemy. If I offer something,
three, that means "You are my enemy."

       Devotee: So how many sticks of incense? Two?

       Prabhupada: There is no such...

       Yogesvara: Now, one thing is that we accept Buddha as incarnation of Krsna
on reference from Vedas, but Buddha denied the value of the Vedas.

       Prabhupada: That is... When we pray, offer pray, it is stated that that is
his, one of the qualifications. Sada... Nindasi. Nindasi yajna-vidher. The
animal sacrifice is recommended... Some of the sacrifices or all of them... So
that animal sacrifice was not meant for eating. Just to give them new,
rejuvenated life by the Vedic mantras, to test that whether Vedic mantras are
being chanted properly. And because at the Kali-yuga there is no such expert
brahmana, all sacrifices are forbidden. So later on, as they deteriorated, they
began to offer sacrifices, and if anyone wants to stop it, they will say, "Oh,
it is recommended in the Vedas." Just like these rascals, Christian: "Oh, Christ
ate fish. Therefore we must maintain slaughterhouse." Just see how rascal they
are. Supposing Christ ate somewhere fish. Therefore they would maintain
regularly slaughterhouse of cows. This is their brain.

       Yogesvara: When you were here last year, there was a meeting at the Indian
Tourist Bureau, a press meeting, and there was a man who came to meet you at
that time who is president of the court of Paris. And he was supposed to be a
Buddhist. Do you remember this gentleman? He said to you that "Meat-eating... We
must eat meat in the West. Maybe in India, because of the climate, you can get
away with that."

       Prabhupada: That is rascaldom, another rascaldom. He's a first-class
rascal. That was the support by Vivekananda. He was eating everything. All the
Ramakrishna Mission, they say like that, "Oh, without meat-eating, without
drinking, you cannot stay." All rascals. Therefore, the conclusion is, all
rascals, the religious, social, all rascal. If they want to be saved from their
rascal position, this is the only, Krsna consciousness. If they don't want to be
saved, if they want to go to hell, who can check? Atma-han. Atma-han means
"self-suicide." Suicide, yes. If you cut your throat yourself, who can save you?
So they are all these like, all, all these Buddhists, Christian. We may not
speak very strongly. They will be our enemies.

       Bhagavan: There's other guests here.

       Prabhupada: Shortly. But this is the position. They're all rascals. But we
don't hate anyone. We want to raise them. Actually they're all rascals. Do you
accept this philosophy...

       Yogesvara: Yes.

       Prabhupada: ...that they are all rascals? Hare Krsna. Let them come
forward. Jaya.

       Bhagavan: Please come. Sit. Please come sit. (end)


       >>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto
Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris


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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.




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Seventy-second Chapter of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead :

"The Liberation of King Jarasandha."

In the great assembly of respectable persons, citizens, friends, relatives,
brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas, King Yudhisthira, in the presence of all,
including his brothers, directly addressed Lord Krsna as follows: "My dear Lord
Krsna, the sacrifice known as the Rajasuya yajna is to be performed by the
emperor, and it is considered to be the king of all sacrifices. By performing
this sacrifice, I wish to satisfy all the demigods, who are Your empowered
representatives within this material world, and I wish that You will kindly help
me in this great adventure so that it may be successfully executed. As far as
the Pandavas are concerned, we have nothing to ask from the demigods. We are
personally fully satisfied by being Your devotees. As You say in the
Bhagavad-gita, "Persons who are bewildered by material desires worship the
demigods," but our purpose is different. I want to perform this Rajasuya
sacrifice and invite the demigods to show them that they have no power
independent of You--they are all Your servants, and You are the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Foolish persons with a poor fund of knowledge consider
Your Lordship an ordinary human being. Sometimes they try to find fault in You,
and sometimes they defame You. Therefore I wish to perform this Rajasuya yajna.
I wish to invite all the demigods, beginning from Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and
other exalted chiefs of the heavenly planets, and in that great assembly of
demigods from all parts of the universe, I want to substantiate that You are the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone is Your servant.

"My dear Lord, those who are constantly in Krsna consciousness and who think of
Your lotus feet or of Your shoes certainly become free from all contamination of
material life. Persons who are engaged in Your service in full Krsna
consciousness, who meditate upon You only or who offer prayers unto You, are
purified souls. Being constantly engaged in Krsna conscious service, such
persons become freed from the cycle of repeated birth and death. They do not
even desire to become freed from this material existence or to enjoy material
opulences; their desires are fulfilled by Krsna conscious activities. As far as
we are concerned, we are fully surrendered unto Your lotus feet, and by Your
grace we are so fortunate to see You personally. Therefore, naturally we have no
desire for material opulences. The verdict of the Vedic wisdom is that You are
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I want to establish this fact, and I also
want to show the world the difference between accepting You as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and accepting You as an ordinary powerful historical
person. I wish to show the world that one can attain the highest perfection of
life simply by taking shelter at Your lotus feet, exactly as one can satisfy the
branches, twigs, leaves and flowers of an entire tree simply by watering the
root. Thus, if one takes to Krsna consciousness, his life becomes fulfilled both
materially and spiritually.

"This does not mean that You are partial to the Krsna conscious person and are
indifferent to the non-Krsna conscious person. You are equal to everyone; that
is Your declaration. You cannot be partial to one and not interested in others
because You are sitting in everyone's heart as the Supersoul and giving everyone
the respective results of his fruitive activities. You give every living entity
the chance to enjoy this material world as he desires. As Supersoul, You are
sitting in the body along with the living entity, giving him the results of his
own actions as well as opportunities to turn toward Your devotional service by
developing Krsna consciousness. You openly declare that one should surrender
unto You, giving up all other engagements, and that You will take charge of him,
giving him relief from the reactions of all sins. You are like the desire tree
in the heavenly planets, which awards benedictions according to one's desires.
Everyone is free to achieve the highest perfection, but if one does not so
desire, then Your awarding of lesser benedictions is not due to partiality."

On hearing this statement of King Yudhisthira, Lord Krsna replied as follows:
"My dear King Yudhisthira, O killer of enemies, O ideal justice personified, I
completely support your decision to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice. By
performing this great sacrifice, your good name will remain well established
forever in the history of human civilization. My dear King, may I inform you
that it is the desire of all great sages, your forefathers, the demigods, and
your relatives and friends, including Myself, that you perform this sacrifice,
and I think that it will satisfy every living entity. But, because it is
necessary, I request that you first of all conquer all the kings of the world
and collect all requisite paraphernalia for executing this great sacrifice. My
dear King Yudhisthira, your four brothers are direct representatives of
important demigods like Varuna, Indra, etc. [It is said that Bhima was born of
the demigod Varuna, and Arjuna was born of the demigod Indra, whereas King
Yudhisthira himself was born of the demigod Yamaraja.] Your brothers are great
heroes, and you are the most pious and self-controlled king and are therefore
known as Dharmaraja. All of you are so qualified in devotional service unto Me
that automatically I have become rivalled by you."

Lord Krsna told King Yudhisthira that He becomes conquered by the love of one
who has conquered his senses. One who has not conquered his senses cannot
conquer the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the secret of devotional
service. To conquer the senses means to engage them constantly in the service of
the Lord. The specific qualification of all the Pandava brothers was that they
always engaged their senses in the service of the Lord. One who thus engages his
senses becomes purified, and with purified senses one can actually render
service to the Lord. The Lord can thus be conquered by the devotee by loving
transcendental service.

Lord Krsna continued: "There is no one in the three worlds of the universe,
including the powerful demigods, who can surpass My devotees in any of the six
opulences, namely wealth, strength, reputation, beauty, knowledge and
renunciation. Therefore, if you want to conquer the worldly kings, there is no
possibility of their emerging victorious."

When Lord Krsna thus encouraged King Yudhisthira, the King's face brightened
like a blossoming flower because of transcendental happiness, and thus he
ordered his younger brothers to conquer all the worldly kings in all directions.
Lord Krsna empowered the Pandavas to execute His great mission of chastising the
infidel miscreants of the world and giving protection to His faithful devotees.
In His Visnu form, the Lord therefore carries four kinds of weapons in His four
hands. He carries a lotus flower and a conchshell in two hands, and in the other
two hands He carries a club and a disc. The club and disc are meant for the
nondevotees, but because the Lord is the Supreme Absolute, the resultant action
of all His weapons is one and the same. With the club and the disc He chastises
the miscreants so that they may come to their senses and know that they are not
all in all. Over them there is the Supreme Lord. And by bugling with the
conchshell and offering blessings with the lotus flower, He always assures the
devotees that no one can vanquish them, even in the greatest calamity. King
Yudhisthira, being thus assured by the indication of Lord Krsna, ordered his
youngest brother, Sahadeva, accompanied by soldiers of the Srnjaya tribe, to
conquer the southern countries. Similarly, he ordered Nakula, accompanied by the
soldiers of Matsyadesa, to conquer the kings of the western side. He sent
Arjuna, accompanied by the soldiers of Kekayadesa, to conquer the kings of the
northern side, and Bhimasena, accompanied by the soldiers of Madradesa (Madras),
was ordered to conquer the kings on the eastern side.

It may be noted that by dispatching his younger brothers to conquer in different
directions, King Yudhisthira did not actually intend that they declare war with
the kings. Actually, the brothers started for different directions to inform the
respective kings about King Yudhisthira's intention to perform the Rajasuya
sacrifice. The kings were thus informed that they were required to pay taxes for
the execution of the sacrifice. This payment of taxes to Emperor Yudhisthira
meant that the king accepted his subjugation before him. In case of a king's
refusal to act accordingly, there was certainly a fight. Thus by their influence
and strength, the brothers conquered all the kings in different directions, and
they were able to bring in sufficient taxes and presentations. These were
brought before King Yudhisthira by his brothers.

King Yudhisthira was very anxious, however, when he heard that King Jarasandha
of Magadha did not accept his sovereignty. Seeing King Yudhisthira's anxiety,
Lord Krsna informed him of the plan explained by Uddhava for conquering King
Jarasandha. Bhimasena, Arjuna and Lord Krsna then started together for
Girivraja, the capital city of Jarasandha, dressing themselves in the garb of
brahmanas. This was the plan devised by Uddhava before Lord Krsna started for
Hastinapura, and now it was given practical application.

King Jarasandha was a very dutiful householder, and he had great respect for the
brahmanas. He was a great fighter, a ksatriya king, but he was never neglectful
of the Vedic injunctions. According to Vedic injunctions, the brahmanas are
considered to be the spiritual masters of all other castes. Lord Krsna, Arjuna
and Bhimasena were actually ksatriyas, but they dressed themselves as brahmanas,
and at the time when King Jarasandha was to give charity to the brahmanas and
receive them as guests, they approached him.

Lord Krsna, in the dress of a brahmana, said to the King: "We wish all glories
to Your Majesty. We are three guests at your royal palace, and we are coming
from a great distance. We have come to ask you for charity, and we hope that you
will kindly bestow upon us whatever we ask from you. We know about your good
qualities. A person who is tolerant is always prepared to tolerate everything,
even though distressful. Just as a criminal can perform the most abominable
acts, so a greatly charitable person like you can give anything and everything
he is asked for. For a great personality like you, there is no distinction
between relatives and outsiders. A famous man lives forever, even after his
death; therefore, any person who is completely fit and able to execute acts
which will perpetuate his good name and fame and yet does not do so becomes
abominable in the eyes of great persons. Such a person cannot be condemned
enough, and his refusal to give charity is lamentable throughout his whole life.
Your Majesty must have heard the glorious names of charitable personalities such
as Hariscandra, Rantideva and Mudgala, who used to live only on grains picked up
from the paddy field, and the great Maharaja Sibi, who saved the life of a
pigeon by supplying flesh from his own body. These great personalities have
attained immortal fame simply by sacrificing this temporary and perishable
body." Lord Krsna, in the garb of a brahmana, thus informed Jarasandha that fame
is imperishable, but the body is perishable. If one can attain imperishable name
and fame by sacrificing his perishable body, he becomes a very respectable
figure in the history of human civilization.

While Lord Krsna was speaking in the garb of a brahmana along with Arjuna and
Bhima, Jarasandha marked that the three of them did not appear to be actual
brahmanas. There were signs on their bodies by which Jarasandha could understand
that they were ksatriyas. Their shoulders were marked with an impression due to
carrying bows; they had beautiful bodily structure, and their voices were grave
and commanding. Thus he definitely concluded that they were not brahmanas, but
ksatriyas. He was also thinking that he had seen them somewhere before. Although
these three persons were ksatriyas, they had come to his door begging alms like
brahmanas. Therefore he decided that he would fulfill their desires, in spite of
their being ksatriyas. He thought in this way because their position had already
been diminished by their appearing before him as beggars. "Under the
circumstances," he thought, "I am prepared to give them anything. Even if they
ask for my body, I shall not hesitate to offer it to them." In this regard, he
began to think of Bali Maharaja. Lord Visnu in the dress of a brahmana appeared
as a beggar before Bali, and in that way He snatched away all of his opulence
and kingdom. He did this for the benefit of Indra, who, having been defeated by
Bali Maharaja, was bereft of his kingdom. Although Bali Maharaja was cheated,
his reputation as a great devotee who was able to give anything and everything
in charity is still glorified throughout the three worlds. Bali Maharaja could
guess that the brahmana was Lord Visnu Himself and that He had come to him just
to take away his opulent kingdom on behalf of Indra. Bali's spiritual master and
family priest, Sukracarya, repeatedly warned him about this, and yet Bali did
not hesitate to give in charity whatever the brahmana wanted, and at last he
gave up everything to that brahmana. "It is my strong determination," thought
Jarasandha, "that if I can achieve immortal reputation by sacrificing this
perishable body, I must act for that purpose; the life of a ksatriya who does
not live for the benefit of the brahmana is certainly condemned."

Actually King Jarasandha was very liberal in giving charity to the brahmanas,
and thus he informed Lord Krsna, Bhima and Arjuna: "My dear brahmanas, you can
ask from me whatever you like. If you so desire, you can take my head also. I am
prepared to give it."

After this, Lord Krsna addressed Jarasandha as follows: "My dear King, please
note that we are not actually brahmanas, nor have we come to ask for foodstuffs
or grains. We are all ksatriyas, and we have come to beg a duel with you. We
hope that you will agree to this proposal. You may note that here is the second
son of King Pandu, Bhimasena, and the third son of Pandu, Arjuna. As for Myself,
you may know that I am your old enemy, Krsna, the cousin of the Pandavas."

When Lord Krsna disclosed their disguise, King Jarasandha began to laugh very
loudly, and then in great anger and in a grave voice he exclaimed, "You fools!
If you want to fight with me, I immediately grant your request. But, Krsna, I
know that You are a coward. I refuse to fight with You because You become very
confused when You face me in fighting. Out of fear of me You left Your own city,
Mathura, and now You have taken shelter within the sea; therefore I must refuse
to fight with You. As far as Arjuna is concerned, I know that he is younger than
me and is not an equal fighter. I refuse to fight with him because he is not in
any way an equal competitor. But as far as Bhimasena is concerned, I think he is
a suitable competitor to fight with me." After speaking in this way, King
Jarasandha immediately handed a very heavy club to Bhimasena, and he himself
took another, and thus all of them went outside the city walls to fight.

Bhimasena and King Jarasandha engaged themselves in fighting, and with their
respective clubs, which were as strong as thunderbolts, they began to strike one
another very severely, both of them being eager to fight. They were both expert
fighters with clubs, and their techniques of striking one another were so
beautiful that they appeared to be two dramatic artists dancing on a stage. When
the clubs of Jarasandha and Bhimasena loudly collided, they sounded like the
impact of the big tusks of two fighting elephants or like a thunderbolt in a
flashing electrical storm. When two elephants fight together in a sugarcane
field, each of them snatches a stick of sugarcane and, by catching it tightly in
its trunk, strikes the other. Each elephant heavily strikes his enemy's
shoulders, arms, collarbones, chest, thighs, waist, and legs, and in this way
the sticks of sugarcane are smashed. Similarly, all the clubs used by Jarasandha
and Bhimasena were broken, and so the two enemies prepared to fight with their
strong fisted hands. Jarasandha and Bhimasena were very angry, and they began to
smash each other with their fists. The striking of their fists sounded like the
striking of iron bars or like the sound of thunderbolts, and they appeared to be
like two elephants fighting. Unfortunately, however, neither was able to defeat
the other because both were very expert in fighting, both were of equal
strength, and their fighting techniques were equal also. Neither Jarasandha nor
Bhimasena became fatigued or defeated in the fighting, although they struck each
other continually. At the end of the day's fighting, both lived at night as
friends in Jarasandha's palace, and the next day they fought again. In this way
they passed twenty-seven days in fighting.

On the twenty-eighth day, Bhimasena told Krsna, "My dear Krsna, I must frankly
admit that I cannot conquer Jarasandha." Lord Krsna, however, knew the mystery
of the birth of Jarasandha. Jarasandha was born in two different parts from two
different mothers. When his father saw that the baby was useless, he threw the
two parts in the forest, where they were later found by a black-hearted witch
named Jara. She managed to join the two parts of the baby from top to bottom.
Knowing this, Lord Krsna therefore also knew how to kill him. He gave hints to
Bhimasena that since Jarasandha was brought to life by the joining of the two
parts of his body, he could be killed by the separation of these two parts. Thus
Lord Krsna transferred His power into the body of Bhimasena and informed him of
the device by which Jarasandha could be killed. Lord Krsna immediately picked up
a twig from a tree and, taking it in His hand, bifurcated it. In this way He
hinted to Bhimasena how Jarasandha could be killed. Lord Krsna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, is omnipotent, and if He wants to kill someone, no one
can save that person. Similarly, if He wants to save someone, no one can kill
him.

Informed by the hints of Lord Krsna, Bhimasena immediately took hold of the legs
of Jarasandha and threw him to the ground. When Jarasandha fell to the ground,
Bhimasena immediately pressed one of Jarasandha's legs to the ground and took
hold of the other leg with his two hands. Catching Jarasandha in this way, he
tore his body in two, beginning from the anus up to the head. As an elephant
breaks the branches of a tree in two, so Bhimasena separated the body of
Jarasandha. The audience standing nearby saw that the body of Jarasandha was now
divided into two halves, so that each half had one leg, one thigh, one testicle,
one breast, half a backbone, half a chest, one collarbone, one arm, one eye, one
ear and half a face.

As soon as the news of Jarasandha's death was announced, all the citizens of
Magadha began to cry, "Alas, alas," while Lord Krsna and Arjuna embraced
Bhimasena to congratulate him. Although Jarasandha was killed, neither Krsna nor
the two Pandava brothers made a claim to the throne. Their purpose in killing
Jarasandha was to stop him from creating a disturbance against the proper
discharge of world peace. A demon always creates disturbances, whereas a demigod
always tries to keep peace in the world. The mission of Lord Krsna is to give
protection the righteous persons and to kill the demons who disturb a peaceful
situation. Therefore Lord Krsna immediately called for the son of Jarasandha,
whose name was Sahadeva, and with due ritualistic ceremonies He asked him to
occupy the seat of his father and reign over the kingdom peacefully. Lord Krsna
is the master of the whole cosmic creation, and He wants everyone to live
peacefully and execute Krsna consciousness. After installing Sahadeva on the
throne, He released all the kings and princes who had been imprisoned
unnecessarily by Jarasandha.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Seventy-second Chapter of Krsna, "The
Liberation of King Jarasandha."


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A brahmana who studies the Srimad-Bhagavatam achieves firm
intelligence in devotional service, a king who studies it gains
sovereignty over the earth, a vaisya acquires great treasure and a
sudra is freed from sinful reactions.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 12.12.65