# Back to Godhead Magazine #49 *2015 (01)* Back to Godhead Magazine #49-01, 2015 PDF-View ## Welcome The Vedic literature tells of bygone ages when godly kings ruled the world. Guided by self-realized souls, they used their positions to engage the citizens in the primary aim of human life: the awakening of pure love for God, now lying dormant within each of us. In this issue, the book excerpt *Brilliant as the Sun* tells about one such exemplary king, Ambarisha Mahārāja, whose power of devotion to God defeated the mystic power of an irate sage. Today, the idea of a God-centered government disturbs people, one reason being competing concepts of God. In this magazine, with support from the Vedic scriptures, we champion Lord Kṛṣṇa as God. People unfamiliar with Kṛṣṇa naturally balk at this idea, but even those who know something about Him may challenge the logic of worshiping a God who seems to perform immoral acts. In "Can God Be Immoral?" Mukundamala Dāsa responds to this challenge. Two other articles in this issue provide insight into Kṛṣṇa's supremacy. "Fulfilling Our Longing for Love," Caitanya Carana Dāsa explains, can be attained only in a relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And Rasa Purusha Dāsa, who passed away before seeing his article in print, explains how Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of compassion. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nagaraja Dāsa, Editor* Founder's Lecture: Approved Inquiry Paris, June 9, 1974 *Self-realized souls direct us to the most profitable subject for life's endless questions and answers.* > variyan esha te prashnah > krito loka-hitam nripa > atmavit-sammatah pumsam > shrotavyadishu yah parah "Śrī Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. To hear the answer to this question is the prime subject matter of hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists." —*Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 2.1.1 *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* is in the format of questions and answers. First of all it was narrated by Vyasadeva and heard by his son, Sukadeva Gosvami. Then Sukadeva Gosvami narrated it to Parikshit Mahārāja at the time of Parikshit's death. Suta Gosvami also heard it at that time. That is the way of the *parampara* system, the system of disciplic succession. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter of *Bhagavad-gītā* (4.1–2): > imam vivasvate yogam > proktavan aham avyayam > vivasvan manave praha > manur ikshvakave ’bravit > evam parampara-praptam > imam rajarshayo viduh > sa kaleneha mahata > yogo nashtah parantapa "I instructed this imperishable science of *yoga* to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikshvaku. This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost." These verses refer to the *parampara* system. Our Bhagavata system, or Vedic system, is not a matter of research work, unlike, for example, the system of the Theosophists. They're searching for God. Since the beginning, they've been searching. So many leaders of their movement have come and gone, but the Theosophists are still searching. And they will go on searching for lifetimes. But God is not something to be searched out. He is not an ordinary thing, not a material thing. In the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (10.14.29) Lord Brahma says, > athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya- > prasada-leshanugrihita eva hi > janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno > na canya eko ’pi ciram vicinvan "My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the *Vedas* for many years." *Ciram vicinvan.* Even if you speculate for millions of years to understand God, it is not possible to understand Him that way. He is not a subject for speculative knowledge. Knowledge of God is to be received through the right source, by the deductive process, not the inductive process. Because our senses are limited, we cannot have any perfect idea of God by relying on our senses and the inductive process. There are two ways to acquire knowledge: *aroha-pantha* and av*aroha-pantha*. Aroha-pantha means to know something by the ascending process. People are trying to know the moon, Venus, and other planets. They're literally ascending into space to try to understand them. But they've been doing this for the last twenty years, and still they do not know the actual situation of the moon planet. They're going and returning. Actually, it is questionable whether they have gone. From the situation, it is understood they're not going. Maybe they are going to some other planet. That is my opinion, because their description of the moon does not tally with the information we have from the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam.* The moon is one of the heavenly planets. The demigods, who are of a higher class than human beings, live there. One who is elevated to the moon lives there for ten thousand years. There, one day is equal to our six months and the duration of life is ten thousand years of such days. The *karma-kandiyas* who perform Vedic ritualistic ceremonies very nicely are promoted to the moon. There are seven upper planetary systems and seven lower planetary systems. We are living in Bhurloka, in the middle. Above this is Bhuvarloka, then Svarloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, and Brahmaloka. According to the *shastra,* the Vedic literature, you can go to higher planets such as Brahmaloka or the sun only with the necessary qualifications. You are seeing the sun every day, but you cannot go there. You have no right. Rascals say, "I shall go by my own strength. I shall know everything by dint of my own knowledge, my research work." That is not possible. So what to speak of understanding God? You cannot understand even what is in your presence, the material world, and the spiritual world is beyond the material sky. *Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah* (*Gita* 8.20). There is another sky. You have no estimation of that other sky. Even in the material world, you are seeing only one sky in one universe, but there are innumerable universes. And beyond the material world is the spiritual sky. There are also spiritual planets, Vaikuntha planets. And above these Vaikuntha planets is Krishnaloka, Kṛṣṇa's abode. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa—God—or His abode by the speculative, ascending process. That is not possible. You have to inquire from the proper authority. *The Duty of the Dying* Parikshit Mahārāja inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami, "What is my duty now that I am going to die?" Parikshit Mahārāja was cursed by a *brahmana* boy to die in seven days. Parikshit Mahārāja was quite competent to counteract the curse of the *brahmana* boy, but he decided, "I shall die." He thought, "I offended the boy's father, a *rishi,* by placing a dead snake around his neck. His son has become angry and cursed me: 'You have insulted my father, so die with this snake.' " Parikshit Mahārāja accepted the curse. He immediately left his kingdom, family, and everything and went down to the bank of the river Ganges. Because he was the king, many big, big men, great saintly persons, and even demigods came to see him at the last stage of his life, the last seven days. Parikshit Mahārāja was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa from childhood, so he asked Sukadeva Gosvami, "What is my duty in reference to knowing about Kṛṣṇa?" His question is here being welcomed by Sukadeva Gosvami: "Your question—an inquiry about Kṛṣṇa—is very much welcome." *Variyan esha te prashnah. Prashna* means question. "You have asked a question about Kṛṣṇa. It is very, very good." Why? *Krito loka-hitam nripa:* "It is good for all of human society. Because you have inquired about Kṛṣṇa, I'll have to reply. People will hear, it will be recorded, and people will be benefitted." *Loka-hitam.* King Parikshit is inquiring and Sukadeva Gosvami is answering. In another place, great saintly persons inquired and Suta Gosvami replied. This kind of question and answer is *atmavit-sammatah. Atmavit* means self-realized. One who does not know what the self is, who does not know what he is, is an animal. "What am I? Am I this body? Or am I something other than this body?" If this inquiry is not there, one is not a human being; he's an animal. Animals cannot inquire. Cats and dog cannot inquire, "What am I?" Everyone who has a material body is suffering. That is the condition. If you have a material body, you must suffer. It is not a question of being European or American or white or black. Whether you are an animal or a man, as soon as you have a material body you must suffer. That is the material condition. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not meant for mitigating the so-called sufferings of the body. When there is a body, there must be suffering. We should not be very much disturbed by the sufferings of the body. You'll have to suffer, even though you make a very nice arrangement. In European cities we see so many nice arrangements, with big, big houses, big, big roads, nice cars. If some Indian comes from an Indian village, he'll see, "It is heaven—such nice houses, such nice buildings, such nice cars." But do you think you are not suffering? The rascal may think, "Here is heaven." But those who are residing in this heaven know what kind of heaven it is. Suffering must be there as soon as you get a material body. "Suffering? We are enjoying." What are you enjoying? Is there any guarantee that you'll enjoy? You have a nice building, a nice road, a nice car. That's all right. You are thinking you are enjoying. But is there any guarantee that you will enjoy? Any moment you'll be finished. Any moment. There is no guarantee. *A Strong Foundation* That is not enjoyment. Real enjoyment is permanent enjoyment. When a man constructs a house, he makes the foundation very strong. "But what is *your* foundation, sir? Is it very strong? You can be taken away at any moment. Why don't you make *your* foundation strong to be able to live here permanently?" But that intelligence he hasn't got. He'll waste time making the house foundation very strong, but not his own foundation. His foundation is tottering and may collapse at any second. Persons with this kind of intelligence are called animals. The dog will live for six or ten years, but he is very proud: "I have a very nice master. *Gow! Gow!*" You see? This kind of intelligence is no good. Therefore it is said here, *atmavit-sammatah.* A question like Parikshit's is approved by persons who are self-realized. *Atmavit* means "one who knows what he is." *Sammatah* means "approved." *Atmavit sammatah pumsam shrotavyadishu yah parah. Parah* means "superior." We are accustomed to hear so many things. We are hankering to hear the radio or the record album or the news from the newspaper. We are always anxious, very anxious, to hear the news. In your country especially, millions of big newspapers are printed just to satisfy the desire to hear what is going on in the world. But after seeing one or two pages, you throw it away, because the news is hackneyed. You know there was political strife, there was a fire, there was a burglary, there was this, there was that. The same story. *Carvita-carvananam:* chewing the chewed. This kind of hearing will not give me pleasure. Therefore here it is said, *shrotavyadishu yah parah.* This *Kṛṣṇa-prashna*—questions and answers about Kṛṣṇa—is not ordinary questions and answers. It is not ordinary hearing. It is *atmavit-sammatah.* Those who are self-realized will understand its value; they will approve of it, because it is transcendental: *shrotavyadishu yah parah.* Someone may say, "There are many subjects for hearing, and this is just one of them." Sukadeva Gosvami says, "No, this is *parah,* transcendental, the most superior questions and answers for hearing." In the next verse Sukadeva Gosvami says, > shrotavyadini rajendra > nrinam santi sahasrashah > apashyatam atma-tattvam > griheshu griha-medhinam " Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor." *Rajendra* means "the best of kings." Parikshit Mahārāja was the best of kings. He is preparing for death. He does not think, "I am now the king. I'll die, and I shall again become the king." He does not think foolishly like that. He knows, "I may be the king in this life, and in the next life I may be a dog." He's *atmavit:* he knows *atma,* the soul. The destination of the soul after death is under the control of nature. You cannot say, "This time I am a very good-looking French boy or girl. In the next life I shall become the same." *Crows Worshiping Napoleon* Everyone has love for his country. That is the modern civilization. In your country, Napoleon loved his country so much. Now you do not know where he is. You simply have a statue. And you are thinking, "I am worshiping Napoleon." You do not actually worship him. Real worship is as we are doing here in this temple. If you want to worship Napoleon, you must keep him in this way, as we are keeping the Deity. But no, you keep him on the street, and the crows pass stool on him. That is not worship; that is insult. This modern civilization has no common sense. If you are worshiping Napoleon, why do you keep him like that? We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, and we are keeping Him in a nice place. They will say, "It is idol worship. These foolish people are worshiping an idol." And they are worshiping Napoleon very nicely. Just see their intelligence. The opinion of persons who are not *atmavit* has no value. We don't care for their opinion. Approval should be from persons who are self-realized. Their opinion has value. A rascal says, "In my opinion." What is the value of your opinion? We don't accept your opinion. We take the opinion of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Sukadeva Gosvami says, "My dear King, the subject for hearing by ordinary, common men, is many thousands of questions and answers." That is life. A businessman asks, "What is the rate of this commodity?" And another man answers, "This is the price." And he replies, "If it is favorable, purchase it." This is going on. But the exchange between Parikshit Mahārāja and Sukadeva Gosvami is not that kind of question and answer. Nor is it about a radio message or a football club or so many things. These things are meant for the common class of men, who have many, many thousands of questions and answers. Why do they have so many topics for thousands of questions and answers when we have only one topic: Kṛṣṇa? That is answered by the word *griha-medhinam.* In Vedic language there are two words for married people: g*rihamedhi* and **grihastha*. Grihastha* is the general word for those who are householders, living with family. In this age, and especially in Western countries, to take **sannyasa*,* the renounced order of life, is very difficult. Actually, in this age *sannyasa* is forbidden unless one is very strong spiritually. It is better to remain a *grihastha* and cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't accept *sannyasa* whimsically and then do all kinds of nonsense. But don't become a **grihamedhi*.* A *grihamedhi* does not know anything other than supporting a family and living very comfortably. Life centers on the home. A *grihastha* knows Kṛṣṇa. A *grihamedhi* has thousands of questions and answers centered on family life. But a *grihastha* has one topic for questions and answers: Kṛṣṇa. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we don't talk of just anything. We simply talk of Kṛṣṇa. And if we talk of Kṛṣṇa for a hundred years, we will not be finished. We have so many books. If we try to understand one word of *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam,* then it will take a hundred years. You can try to understand the opening words of the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam—janmady asya yatah—*for one hundred years. Go on reading both *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* and *Bhagavad-gītā* every day. The more you become realized, *atmavit,* the more you'll see new meaning, new light. *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* is so nice. What is the limit of learning? The limit is when you understand *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam.* No more knowledge required. Therefore it is called *shrotavyadishu yah parah:* the ultimate, first class. *Grihamedhis* do not know that there is the soul and the soul is permanent. We are hankering after happiness. For whose happiness? It is the soul's happiness. It is Kṛṣṇa's happiness. We try to protect the body. We are very fond of the body. Why? Because the soul is there. Everyone knows it. As soon as there is no soul in the body, it is kicked out. Throw it away in the street. Nobody cares for it. Suppose the bodies of a beautiful man and a beautiful girl are lying dead in the street. Who cares for them? But as long as the soul is there—"Oh, such a beautiful boy, such a beautiful girl." The soul is important. So actually, we love the soul. This is the fact. This is *atmavit.* And why do we love the soul? Because we love Kṛṣṇa. The soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So why are we so fond of the soul? Because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, ultimately, we love Kṛṣṇa. This is the conclusion. And if we do not love Kṛṣṇa, that is an abnormal stage. The normal stage is to love Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are trying to awaken people's Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as one is fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and begins to love Kṛṣṇa, then he doesn't want to love anything separately. As Dhruva Mahārāja said: "Now I am fully satisfied." Otherwise, we'll have many questions, many answers, as long as we are not self-realized. And our time will be spoiled. *Kṛṣṇa-prashna,* inquiry about Kṛṣṇa, should continually go on. You'll find all the answers in the *Bhagavad-gītā* and *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam*. Then simply by such questions and answers your life will be successful. Thank you very much. ## Letters *Spiritual Life Hampered* When all things go well, then our spiritual life also goes well. But why is our spiritual life hampered when we fall into some material difficulties? Modim Verma Via the Internet *Our reply:* Even if we've taken to the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we still have to face the consequences of our previous actions; we still suffer difficulties because of *karma*. It's important for aspiring devotees to have the right attitude in the face of difficulties. As Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport to *Bhagavad-gītā* (12.13–14): "Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord's mercy upon him. He thinks, 'Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.'" I should think that any difficulties Kṛṣṇa is sending my way are for my spiritual benefit. Maybe you've heard this principle but are having a hard time understanding it. Difficulties seem to make spiritual life more difficult, you wonder, so how is that helpful? There are many possible answers. One is that we can make spiritual progress just by acknowledging that the difficulties are Kṛṣṇa-sent, because seeing Kṛṣṇa in everything is important aspect of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Material difficulties can also inspire us to become more serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness so we can leave this material world forever. Difficulties that seem to hinder our spiritual practices can in fact strengthen our desire for our spiritual practices, and that's purifying. Sometimes hindrances to specific practices can force us to take shelter of other practices. For example, if something in my life makes regular temple attendance difficult, I can look for other ways to increase and improve my chanting and hearing about Kṛṣṇa. We must have faith that Kṛṣṇa wants to help us. Difficulties are one way He can get our attention and inspire us to turn to Him and cry out, "Dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, please help!" That kind of heartfelt plea is the key to our spiritual progress. It's important to guard against the tendency to resent Kṛṣṇa for sending difficulties. We should always feel that Kṛṣṇa loves us more deeply than we can understand, that He has unlimited intelligence, and that whatever He sends our way is meant to draw us closer to Him. *Devotees' Apparent Sorrows* Why does it seem that intense sorrow follows all those blessed with a personal association with the Lord—Dasharatha, Rādhārāṇī, Yashoda, Devaki, Saci, and Sita, to name a few. And why should I really aspire for such likelihood? Harkumar Singh Via the Internet *Our reply:* We should not make the mistake of equating the experiences of the Lord's most exalted devotees with our own. Everything about these devotees takes place on the transcendental platform, the essence of which is pure love for God, or **prema*.* The quality of *prema* is ecstatic spiritual bliss. Everything that goes on in the relationship between the Lord and His liberated devotee is of the nature of pure happiness. Because we are conditioned souls bound by the material energy, our vision is defective and we see sorrow in spiritual existence. But there is no sorrow there, only various flavors of happiness. In the *Caitanya-bhagavata* (*Madhya* 9.240), Śrīla Vrindavana Dāsa Ṭhākura writes, "Know for certain that whatever worldly distress is seen in a Vaishnava is actually spiritual happiness." In his commentary, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura writes, "By seeing a fully engaged devotee's scarcity rather than external opulence, sickness rather than good health, poverty rather than wealth, and ignorance rather than scholarship, those who consider such a Vaishnava afflicted by various deficiencies and who therefore hanker after gold, women, and fame, like the *karmis*—and thus consider him distressed—should be understood to have lost their intelligence." The word *Vaishnava* here means pure devotees of the Lord. If we think their experiences are the same to ours, we are mistaken. Pure *Vaishnava*s are far beyond the reach of mundane sorrow. To fully appreciate this truth, we must purify ourselves through the practices of Kṛṣṇa consciousness (*bhakti-yoga*) as given to us by Śrīla Prabhupāda. When we attain the transcendental state of pure love for Kṛṣṇa, we too will taste the uninterrupted spiritual happiness of our eternal relationship with Him. *The Position of Lord Siva* Why is Bhagavan Siva considered the most powerful of the Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva? No matter who you speak with, the general idea is that Bhagavan Siva can give his sincere devotees powers that even Kṛṣṇa cannot. So, doesn't that make Bhagavan Siva the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Pranay Sherke Via the Internet *Our reply:* No doubt Lord Siva is very powerful. He is in charge of the destruction of the material world. Many people consider the power of destruction to be the greatest power. Because they are afraid of the material energy, they regard Lord Siva as the most powerful because he can destroy that energy. But consider this: The president of a country appoints a minister who appears to be very powerful to those in the area of his jurisdiction, but in fact the president who appointed the minister is even more powerful. Although he may not be obviously in control, he is behind the scenes controlling everything. Such is the position of Kṛṣṇa, who appears in the Trimurti as Vishnu, His plenary expansion. What you will hear depends on who you ask. You say "no matter who you speak with," but when I look in the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* or the *Bhagavad-gītā,* I don't learn that Lord Siva is the most powerful. Lord Brahma, in *Brahma-samhitā* (5.1), clearly says, "Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes." The *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (1.3.28) says, *ete camsha-kalah pumsah krishnas tu bhagavan svayam:* "All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead." In the Seventh Chapter of the *Bhagavad-gītā* Lord Kṛṣṇa says that He is the origin of all the demigods (including Siva), the source of their power, and the bestower of any reward one might obtain by their worship. In spiritual matters, it is very important to hear from reliable, realized, and learned sources guided by the Vedic scriptures. By worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa one makes Lord Siva very happy, because Lord Siva also worships Lord Kṛṣṇa. In fact, the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (12.13.16) says *vaishnavanam yatha shambhuh:* "Lord Siva is the greatest Vaishnava." *Please write to us at: BTG, PO Box 430, Alachua, Florida 32616, USA. Email: [email protected].* Śrīla Prabhupāda Speaks Out: Dallying with Material Enjoyment *The following conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and some of his disciples took place on May 30, 1974, during a morning walk in Rome.* Śrīla Prabhupāda: If people do not want to approach the Lord's devotees for spiritual enlightenment, what can be done? Just see this sparrow. Sex is always available to him. At any time sex is ready for him. The pigeons, also. Any time they want sex, sex is ready. *Vishayah khalu sarvatah syat:* our only attachment for this material world is *vishaya,* material sense gratification. The whole world over, people are fighting simply to gratify their bodily senses. "I must have nice eating, I must have nice sleeping, I must have very good sex, and I should be defended by a big bank balance, by military soldiers, by a powerful police force, by atomic weapons." This is going on all over the world. Take defense: the rascal does not understand, "In spite of all these defensive measures, at the end of this lifetime I will have to change bodies and go on suffering. The same sense gratification will be available again, in a different way—and also the same suffering." Take the tiny ants. They are very fond of intoxication. Did you know that? As soon as they get information, "At the top of this skyscraper, there is a grain of sugar, they will go. [*Laughter.*] Wine is made from sugar, molasses. So sugar has the potency for intoxication, and if you keep a grain of sugar out in this room, soon there will be thousands of ants. An ants' gold rush. So study. Can you see any real difference between this so-called human civilization and the ant civilization, the dog civilization? No difference. It is only a matter of outward configuration. Devotee: Yes. At the Sunday Feast we usually make sweetballs, and there's some sugar water left over. And the next day we find many drowned ants, because they went so wild for the sugar that they jumped into it and killed themselves. Śrīla Prabhupāda: The Vedic literatures advise, "My dear human being, please note: You have attained this human form of life after many, many births. You had to go through the various forms of the aquatic life, 900,000 species; and you had to go through the various forms of birds and trees and plants, two million species. Consider how much time you have spent in this slow, painstaking evolution. Now you have come to the human form of life. And although it, too, is temporary, nonetheless you can achieve the highest perfection. You can evolve from life in this temporary world of misery to life in the eternal world of bliss. So before your next death in this world, become a very adept student of spiritual perfection—and achieve it." Devotee: But people will say, "Then what about my sense enjoyment?" Śrīla Prabhupāda: Don't worry. *Vishayah khalu sarvatah syat:* Your sense enjoyment will be available in any species of life. But this human form of life—spend it for this higher purpose. Don't waste it simply for sense enjoyment, which you will get even if you become a cat or a dog. But in the cat's or dog's body, you have no opportunity to get out of this material existence. Modern people are getting no education to understand this special chance they have in human life. Therefore we must give this education. We must induce them to read these transcendental books in their schools and colleges. Otherwise, they have no books to read about this transcendental realization. They have only Freud's sex philosophy and Darwin's monkey theory. All rascaldom, simply rascaldom. So let them read these transcendental books. Devotee: Ordinary people are accepting theories that promise them better enjoyment. People like to hear someone promising. "You'll get better sense gratification." Śrīla Prabhupāda: Politicians are promising, "You take this *-ism* or that *-ism*." But nobody knows what is actually happiness. *Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi vishnum *dur*ashaya ye bahir-artha-maninah:* people are trying to be happy by sense enjoyment, the material body's enjoyment. But **dur*ashaya:* it is simply a hope that will never be fulfilled. *Ashaya* means “hope,” and *dur* means “very difficult.” It is not going to happen. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is giving you everything in the right way, so that you can save your time, so that you do not waste your time dallying with material enjoyment and you can advance in spiritual consciousness. That is required. We don't say, "Stop eating." Eat. Take a little *kṛṣṇa-prasada.* We don't say, "Don't sleep." No, sleep, but you must rise early in the morning and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our philosophy. Surely, we give proper place to eating, sleeping, and sex. We don't say, "No sex life." Yes, have sex. Get yourself a bona fide wife and live peacefully. And defense, also, we have. We never say, "Forego all these things." No, this is not our philosophy. But at the same time, take only as much material enjoyment as you absolutely require, not more than that. The balance of your time—save it for spiritual advancement. Unfortunately, today people are engaged simply for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. They have no time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no time for spiritual consciousness. This condemned civilization must be stopped. It is a killing civilization—a killing civilization. Human beings have the option of getting out of this material bondage—chewing the chewed again and again—but they are not being given the chance to exercise this special human option. Instead, they are being engaged more and more for the animal life of sense gratification. This killing civilization is sending human beings down into repeated births and deaths in the animal species. But by the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness—by renunciation and spiritual knowledge—many people have become purified and have gone back home, back to Godhead, the spiritual world. All this information is available. But people are not educated. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for educating them. ## A Pause for Prayer [Priests conducting a sacrifice on behalf of Lord Ramacandra prayed:] O Lord, You are the master of the entire universe. What have You not given to us? You have entered the core of our hearts and dissipated the darkness of our ignorance by Your effulgence. This is the supreme gift. We do not need a material donation. O Lord, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who have accepted the *brahmanas* as Your worshipable Deity. Your knowledge and memory are never disturbed by anxiety. You are the chief of all famous persons within this world, and Your lotus feet are worshiped by sages who are beyond the jurisdiction of punishment. O Lord Ramacandra, let us offer our respectful obeisances unto You. — *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 9.11.6–7 ## Fulfilling Our Longing for Love *by Caitanya Carana Dāsa* *Five reasons why loving Kṛṣṇa is the answer to the question of love.* Love is our innermost longing. *Gita* wisdom declares that our longing for love is best fulfilled when we learn to love Kṛṣṇa. Let’s try to understand this central *Gita* teaching by breaking it down into five parts: * Loving Kṛṣṇa enables our love to break free from all limitations. * Kṛṣṇa is eminently lovable. * Kṛṣṇa loves all of us impartially. * Kṛṣṇa’s love for us is unconditional. * Kṛṣṇa engages His omnipotence to help us when we choose to love Him. *Loving Kṛṣṇa enables our love to break free from all limitations.* Our love constantly longs to rush forth beyond all limitations. But as long as we love any material object or person, the flow of our love remains constrained by two often-subconscious fears: 1. We limit the love we offer to others, fearing it may be, at worst, rejected insensitively or, at best, reciprocated inadequately. 2. We also fear that focusing our love on one person may limit our capacity to love others. When we consciously and consistently offer our love to Kṛṣṇa, however, we gradually discover that it breaks free from both these limitations. Here’s why: 1. Kṛṣṇa notices attentively every drop of love we offer Him and reciprocates perfectly by flooding our heart with fulfilling waves of love. When we experience His magnificent reciprocation, we feel inspired to offer Him all the love of our heart and more still. 2. As the source of everyone and everything, Kṛṣṇa encompasses all of existence; all living beings are His beloved children. So the love we offer Him doesn’t stay stuck with Him, but returns through Him to embrace as many living beings as our heart desires. That’s why, when we focus our love on Kṛṣṇa, we become increasingly capable of loving more and more people. The *Bhagavad-gītā* (12.13) points to this majestic expansion of our capacity to love when it states that devotees who love Kṛṣṇa become the benefactors of all living beingss. Thus, by loving Kṛṣṇa we let our love break free from its limitations and flow freely, bringing the supreme happiness into our own lives and the lives of many others. *Kṛṣṇa is eminently lovable.* Kṛṣṇa is so given to love that for its sake He conceals His godhood. To have intimate loving exchanges with His devotees, He chooses to act as if He were not God. His love for love makes Him eminently lovable. Because Kṛṣṇa performs childhood pranks like stealing butter, many people who know about Kṛṣṇa through their culture or tradition consider Him amusing. However, the *Bhagavad-gītā* (4.9) declares that by knowing Kṛṣṇa "in truth" we attain a result far greater than mere amusement—we attain liberation. Why? Because when we know Him, we fall in love with Him, thereby opening the door to liberation. When we actually understand Kṛṣṇa, we cannot but be amazed at how He chooses to take on the role of a sweet and naughty child just to reciprocate love with those who love Him. Isn’t it amazing that God, who is the eternal and ultimate father of all, becomes a tender child for the sake of love? Isn’t it even more amazing that God renounces what everyone in this world longs to have—the majesty of godhood—just to relish the intimacy of love? And isn’t it most amazing that God, though He has the love of billions and billions of His devotees, considers our unique love for Him so invaluable and irreplaceable and indispensable that He descends to this world to invite us with His love call? When the Lord is given to love and is supremely lovable, how can we not love him? And when we choose to love Him, how can He stop Himself from fulfilling His heart’s longing to take us back to Him and reinstate us in His world of love? Thus, proper philosophical vision takes our understanding of Kṛṣṇa across the bridge from amusing to amazing. And when we thereby fall in love with Him, He helps us cross the far greater bridge from the material world to the spiritual world. *Kṛṣṇa loves all of us impartially.* The *Bhagavad-gītā* (9.29) reveals two paradoxical features of Kṛṣṇa’s nature: 1. He is equal to all and does not consider anyone an object of aversion or affection. 2. For those who offer themselves to Him and worship Him with devotion, He offers Himself to them in return. These two features suggest that Kṛṣṇa is both partial and impartial. How can that be? The key to understanding Kṛṣṇa’s mysterious nature is to remember that He is not an impersonal principle but a sentient person. Being a person, He is neither neutral nor partial; He is reciprocal. When we try to avoid Him, He reciprocates by not interfering in our lives and by letting us stay under the supervision of the impartial law of *karma*. When we try to love Him, He reciprocates by showering His love on us and by intervening to take special care of us. If Kṛṣṇa exhibited stonelike neutrality towards all, there would be hardly any possibility of developing a loving relationship with Him. After all, who can love a stone? If Kṛṣṇa were not reciprocal, love for Him would remain mostly an abstract intellectual concept. It is Kṛṣṇa’s reciprocity that makes His personality emotionally tangible and eminently lovable. It is Kṛṣṇa’s reciprocity that makes love for Him real. As Kṛṣṇa is reciprocal, He is indeed partial to those who try to reciprocate love with Him—His devotees. He offers them special protection and grace. But as He is universally reciprocal, He allows everyone to love Him and thereby benefit from His partiality. In fact, He publically declares His partiality so that everyone will become attracted to Him and come to benefit from it. Thus, Kṛṣṇa is impartially partial: He impartially leaves the doors to partiality open for everyone. *Kṛṣṇa’s love for us is unconditional.* At this point we may wonder, “If Kṛṣṇa loves all of us impartially, then why can’t we feel His love now? If we can feel it only after becoming pure, then doesn’t that make His love conditional, dependent on the condition of purity?” Gita wisdom answers that Kṛṣṇa’s love is unconditional but our capacity to experience His love is conditional. And the conditionality of this capacity is also evidence of His love for us. First we need to understand the difference between the objective fact of Kṛṣṇa’s love and our subjective experience of His love. Objectively, Kṛṣṇa loves all of us, whether we act piously or sinfully. No matter what we do, He still keeps residing in our heart and helping us as much as we allow Him. He never quits our heart; He never abandons us; He never gives up on us. Just as the sun gives light to everyone irrespective of their moral or immoral behavior, so does Kṛṣṇa give His love. Thus, His love is definitely unconditional. But just as our eyes need to be open to see sunlight, our heart needs to be pure to feel his love. So what is conditional is not Kṛṣṇa’s love, but our capacity to feel His love. Just as the eyes' natural state—being open—is the prerequisite to see the sunshine, so the heart’s natural state—being pure—is the prerequisite to feel Kṛṣṇa’s unconditional love. To understand this point better, let’s get a sense of the word *conditional* by looking at two of its meanings*.* First, *conditional* can refer to a requirement that needs to be met for something to be valid, as in “Your job appointment is *conditional* on (i*.*e*.*, requires) your passing the graduation exam*.*” Second, it can refer to the state of a thing, as in “Our ability to think clearly is *conditional* on (i*.*e*.*, depends on) the state of our mind at the moment*.*” Is Kṛṣṇa’s love conditional in the "demand" sense of the word? No, because He doesn’t place any demands that we have to first meet before He starts loving us. He loves us, always. Is Kṛṣṇa’s love conditional in the "depend" sense of the word? No and yes. No, because Kṛṣṇa love for us doesn't depend on the state of our heart. Yes, because our ability to feel His love depends on our heart's being in a particular state, the state of purity. Still, we might argue, “Kṛṣṇa, unlike the sun, is omnipotent. So He can make me feel His love even when my heart is not in the right state. Why doesn’t He do that?” Because He loves us. That Kṛṣṇa doesn’t force us to feel His love in our present state is a sign of His love. Out of His love for us, He has given us free will. By our misuse of free will, we have chosen to replace Him, with various substitutes, as the object of our love. When we have thus shown our apathy or even antipathy towards Him, for Him to force us to feel His love would be to disrespect our free will. And respect is a basic prerequisite for love. Out of respect for us as individuals with independent will, He never forces us to feel His love. Thus, Kṛṣṇa’s respecting our free will is also a sign of His love for us. *Kṛṣṇa engages His omnipotence to help us when we choose to love Him.* At the same time, Kṛṣṇa does use His omnipotence to help us if we express the desire to love Him. We can understand this by acknowledging how Kṛṣṇa helps us in two ways: (1) He makes Himself constantly available to us, and (2) He accommodates us when we falter in our attempts to love Him. 1. Availability. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* (15.15) Kṛṣṇa states that He resides in our heart to guide us to our ultimate good. He uses His omnipotence to manifest Himself in innumerable expansions as the Supersoul, who resides in the heart of every living being. The Supersoul acts like Kṛṣṇa’s personalized incarnation for each of us. He waits for us to voluntarily express our love for Him or at least our desire to love Him. We can express this desire by rendering devotional service according to scriptural guidelines. When He sees our sincere desire, He reciprocates by using His omnipotence to remove the roadblocks on our path to purity. From His strategic vantage point in our heart, Kṛṣṇa observes our misadventures in material existence and strives to bring them to an adventurous, auspicious ending. Let’s see how. Kṛṣṇa is ever waiting: If one friend neglects another for a long time, the neglected friend may naturally and reasonably give up the neglecting friend. But Kṛṣṇa’s love for us far exceeds the bounds of the natural and the reasonable; although we have neglected Him for many lifetimes, He neglects our neglect and waits patiently for us to renew our friendship with Him. Kṛṣṇa is ever willing: If a person not only neglects but also offends a friend, the offended friend would be entirely justified to sever the friendship. But Kṛṣṇa is such an unfailing and unflinching friend that, despite our many misdeeds through which we have repeatedly offended Him, He remains ever willing to resume our relationship with Him. Kṛṣṇa is ever working: Being God, Kṛṣṇa is perfect and complete. He has no work to do and nothing to gain from His relationship with us. Yet due to His selfless and tireless love for us, He voluntarily and constantly works to help us return to Him and thereby become eternally happy. *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (8.3.17) states that Kṛṣṇa is tireless (*alayaya*) in His endeavors to help us. Śrīla Prabhupāda elucidates this in his commentary: “He [Kṛṣṇa] is within our hearts and is not at all inattentive. His only aim is to deliver us from material life. It is not that He becomes attentive to us only when we offer prayers to Him. Even before we offer our prayers, He incessantly tries to deliver us. He is never lazy in regard to our deliverance.” When we understand how much Kṛṣṇa loves us and to what lengths He is ready to go in His love for us, how can we not reciprocate? 2. Accommodation. When we strive to love Kṛṣṇa, we often falter and fall due to our attachments and weaknesses. Kṛṣṇa accommodates us despite our lapses, as is movingly demonstrated through a two-verse sequence in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (9.30–31). First (9.30) Kṛṣṇa urges us to recognize as saintly a devotee who, though guilty of grievous misconduct, is still determined to serve Him. Next (9.31) He assures that the devotee will soon reform, and then proclaims that, due to His unfailing love, He will forever protect the devotee. The first verse offers a glimpse of the unconditional nature of Kṛṣṇa’s love: nothing we can ever do, no matter how vicious, can stop Kṛṣṇa from loving us. At the same time, though love can be unilateral, a loving relationship cannot; it must always be bilateral. That’s why the second verse (9.31) indirectly urges one who has made a mistake to return to a virtuous, devotional life that will engender a pure heart receptive to Kṛṣṇa’s love. The verse does so by first unequivocally reassuring us that such a change of heart is definitely possible, even inevitable and imminent (*kshipram bhavati dharmatma*). Then, knowing that an inner battle is necessary attain that state, the verse inspires us to fight by declaring that Kṛṣṇa with all His omnipotence will protect us (*na me bhaktah pranashyati*). If, by expressing our desire to love Him, we let Kṛṣṇa help us, He will expertly guide us to overcome all inner and outer obstacles, to grow, and to go towards His eternal abode, the world of endless love. To summarize, when we choose to love Kṛṣṇa, our love breaks free of all limitations and finds the most eminently lovable object of love, who loves us impartially and unconditionally, and engages His omnipotence to help us love Him. No wonder *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* (1.2.6) declares that when we learn to love Kṛṣṇa purely, the result is *yayatma suprasidati:* our heart and soul become content fully and forever. *Caitanya Carana Dāsa is a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānath Swami. He holds a degree in electronic and telecommunications engineering and serves full time at ISKCON Pune. He is the author of eleven books. To read his other articles or to receive his daily reflection on the* Bhagavad-gītā, "Gita-daily,*" visit thespiritualscientist.com.* ## e-Kṛṣṇa www.gitadaily.com is an online version of the book *The *Gita* for Daily Enrichment*, by *Back to Godhead* associate editor Caitanya Carana Dāsa. The aim of the site is to present insights from the *Bhagavad-gītā* for your daily reflection. Each article is based on a verse and a theme from the **Gita*.* As each article is only around three hundred words long, it can easily be read in a few minutes. As an added bonus many of the daily articles come with a video offering further insights into the *Gita* verses. If you know someone interested in delving into the wisdom of the *Gita,* or if you want a way to start your day with the illumination of Vedic knowledge, then you will find this website a valuable addition to your Internet bookmarks. When you open the site, the latest *Gita* verse and article are at the top of the page. You can scroll down and look at the verses and associated articles from previous days. If you click on the verse number, highlighted in red, you can view previous articles about that verse. By clicking on the numbers across the top of the page, you can browse for insights into your favorite chapters. There is also a search box that allows you to use key words to find information you may be interested in. At any point, you can always get back to the home page by clicking on the title bar at the top of every page. In the column on the right of the page are links to a number of articles about the *Gita* and Śrīla Prabhupāda, as well as information about the author of the site. Under the section Subscribe for *Gita* Daily, you can enter your email address and receive a verse and insights for your reflection in your inbox every day. There is also a handy Sanskrit pronunciation guide that shows you where the tongue should be on your palate to correctly make each sound. Further down the right-hand column there are more browsing tools that let you find articles from a particular month or day or on a particular verse. In the *Recent Comments* section you can read the thoughts and insights of other readers. At the end of the column, you can click to buy a copy of the *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is,* or get your own copy of *The Gita for Daily Enrichment.* Down at the very bottom of the page is a list of featured articles describing important points made in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* There is also a list of random daily articles that changes every time you load the page. It’s hard to wait to receive one article each day when there is so much of interest to look at. You could easily spend hours using this website to reflect on the vast wisdom presented by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* —Antony Brennan A Sheltered King *By Kṛṣṇa Dharma* *The story of a great Vedic king illustrates the character of Kṛṣṇa's pure devotees and His unfailing support for them.* *Canto 8, Chapter 4: Ambarisha Offended by Durvasa Muni* King Ambarisha ruled over the entire world and achieved inexhaustible, unlimited opulence and prosperity. Advanced in spiritual knowledge, the king cared little for all of this, realizing it to be exactly like a dream. He knew that attachment to material wealth simply leads one onto the path of darkness, and he therefore considered the whole universe to be no more desirable than a piece of stone. As a staunch devotee of Vishnu, he desired only the Lord’s service and the association of other devotees. The saintly king was an emblem of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, with his mind and senses continuously engaged in the Lord’s service. For Vishnu’s pleasure and the good of the world he performed many great sacrifices supervised by sages such as Vasishtha, Asita, and Gautama. Within Ambarisha’s kingdom all the citizens were pious and dedicated to divine service. They were not greedy or envious and lived peacefully and harmoniously. The king himself lived simply and had no attachment to worldly position or wealth. He saw it all as temporary and material, affording no real happiness. Vishnu became greatly pleased with Ambarisha and bestowed upon him His *cakra* weapon, which protected him from all enemies and adversity. Once the king and his wife decided to follow the vow of Ekadashi for one full year. When the vow was complete, he worshiped Vishnu and bathed in the Yamuna. After giving charity to *brahmanas* and feeding them sumptuously, Ambarisha was about to break his fast when the sage Durvasa suddenly appeared. King Ambarisha graciously received Durvasa and said, “Please be seated and allow me to arrange for your meal.” Durvasa said, “I shall accept your hospitality, but first I must bathe.” The sage left for the Yamuna and the king waited patiently. A long time passed as Durvasa sat half-submerged in the river, his mind absorbed in Brahman. The time for Ambarisha to break his fast was passing. If he did not eat soon, his entire vow would be rendered useless and he would become an offender to the Lord. How, though, could he eat before Durvasa returned and thereby offend that sage? The king consulted his priests. They were confused as to how to respond, some saying that he should continue fasting and others that he should eat. Ambarisha reached his own conclusion. “Certainly I must break my fast to avoid transgressing the rules of the Ekadashi vow. Yet this will disrespect Durvasa. I think therefore that I will take just a little water.” Drinking water would be considered both eating and not eating, and in this way the king would satisfy both requirements. Ambarisha swallowed a mouthful of water, and not long after Durvasa returned. By his mystic power the sage could immediately understand that the king had drunk water. He was furious. Frowning, his body trembling with rage and his mouth pursed, the sage said, “What is this? This king is proud of being a Vaishnava but is nothing of the sort. Puffed up with his wealth and power, he thinks he is God and can freely transgress religious principles.” As the red-faced sage castigated Ambarisha, the king stood silently before him with folded hands. Durvasa continued, “You have invited me to eat as your guest and then eaten before me. I shall now punish you!” The sage tore a handful of hair from his head and hurled it to the ground. He uttered a *mantra*, and suddenly from the scattered hair a frightful demon rose up like the fire of devastation. He roared terribly and bore in his hand a great trident. Ambarisha remained placid and unafraid even as the monster advanced toward him. Instantly, however, the Lord’s *cakra* weapon appeared and enveloped the demon in a sheet of fierce flames. In a few moments all that remained of him was a heap of ashes scattering in the wind. The *cakra* then turned its attention toward Durvasa, whose eyes widened in horror. Seeing that the same fate which had befallen his created demon now threatened him, the sage swiftly took to his heels. The *cakra* followed close behind. Feeling its scorching heat, Durvasa sped away, but the disc stayed right behind him. He fled everywhere, to hills, caves, beneath the sea, to other planets, and even to heaven, but could not escape. Still the *cakra* came for him. Finally he went before Brahma and begged, “My dear lord, please save me.” Brahma expressed his inability to assist the panic-stricken sage. “By a mere flick of His eyebrows Vishnu vanquishes the entire universe. All gods and universal controllers, including Siva and I bow, our heads before Him and carry out His orders. How can we save you from His *cakra*?” Durvasa had no time to waste. He rushed off, with the *cakra* right behind him, heading for Siva’s abode in Kailasha Mountain. Siva responded in the same way as Brahma. “I and the other gods who rotate within the universe, caught up in the idea of our greatness, cannot exhibit any power to compare with that of Vishnu. Innumerable universes are created and destroyed simply by His will.” Durvasa dashed off and went as far as Vaikuntha, falling at the feet of Narayana Himself. “Save me, save me! I take shelter of You!” he cried. “Without knowing Your unlimited power, I have offended Your dear devotee. Please deliver me from the terrible reaction. Surely one is freed even from hell simply by remembering Your name!” Although not a devotee himself, the sage was aware of Vishnu’s power. He stood before Him with folded palms, glancing fearfully over his shoulder as he spoke. Narayana smiled and said, “I am completely under the control of My devotees; indeed I am not independent. Because My devotees are devoid of material desires, I sit within their hearts and am at their disposal. They are very dear to Me, as is anyone who is dear to them.” The Lord said that He could not enjoy His own opulence and spiritual bliss without His pure devotees. “Such persons abandon everything for my sake—homes, wives, children, riches, and even their lives. How can I forsake them? As they know nothing but Me, I know only them.” Narayana advised Durvasa that his only recourse was to return at once to Ambarisha and seek his forgiveness. “Offending a devotee harms one’s own self. Austerity and knowledge are great assets, but when acquired by those who are not gentle, they are the opposite.” Durvasa could understand that his only hope for deliverance was to appease Ambarisha. He raced back as fast as he could, with the *cakra* closely pursuing him. *Chapter 5: Durvasa Muni's Life Spared* When Durvasa reached the king again, he immediately fell before him and clasped his feet. “Forgive me, great king. I have offended you,” he pleaded. Ambarisha was horrified to see the sage in such imminent danger. Feeling himself to be at fault, he began to offer prayers to Sudarshana. “Greatly auspicious *cakra,* you are fire, you are the most powerful sun, and you are the moon, master of all luminaries. You are water, earth, sky, air, the senses, and the sense objects. You are religion, truth, and sacrifice. You maintain the entire universe, and you are the supreme transcendental prowess of God.” Understanding that Vishnu and His potencies are nondifferent, Ambarisha offered many prayers, finally asking that Durvasa be spared. Satisfied with this offering, Sudarshana desisted from chasing the sage. The greatly relieved Durvasa repeatedly thanked Ambarisha. “My dear king, today I have experienced the greatness of Vishnu’s devotees, for despite my offense, you prayed for my good fortune. For those who have achieved Vishnu, what is impossible to do or to give up? You have saved my life, and I am deeply indebted to you.” The sage had been gone for a full year, during which time Ambarisha had been patiently awaiting his return without taking any food. He had only drunk water. Feeling he had offended Durvasa and expecting him to return soon, he wanted to first offer food to the sage before taking his own. When Durvasa came before him, he fell flat before him and said, “Please be seated. Accept my worship and take your meal.” Durvasa had never seen such a demonstration of tolerance and forgiveness. He sat down and was served a large variety of first-class preparations. When he had eaten, he said to the king, “You must eat also. Mistakenly I considered you to be an ordinary man, but I now see that you are an elevated soul. Simply by seeing you and touching your feet, I have become pleased and satisfied.” Durvasa said that the king’s fame would be spread throughout heaven and earth. Continuously praising Ambarisha, he rose up into the skyways and went to Brahmaloka, the highest material planet. Although Ambarisha could understand that by Vishnu’s grace he had become powerful, he was not interested in material opulence. He wanted only to serve the Lord. By that service the king had fully realized the Absolute Truth. For him even the highest material planet is no better than hell. Absorbed in thoughts of Vishnu, he accepted the *vanaprastha* order to engage only in spiritual practice. After handing over the kingdom to his sons, he dressed in simple clothes and made his way to the forest. Sukadeva concluded the narration by saying, “Anyone who recites or even remembers this history of King Ambarisha will attain pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa without delay.” [Adapted from Brilliant As The Sun: A Summary of *Srimad-Bhagavatam*, the Complete Science of God (Kindle and Kobo Editions). We've added Sanskrit diacritics and made minor changes to match BTG's style. The 800-page ebook is available here: www.krishnadharma.com] *Kṛṣṇa Dharma is the author of the world's best-selling English editions of the* Mahābhārata *and the* Ramayana. *He lives in London with his family. Find out more about him and read more of his writing at www.krishnadharma.com.* ## Can God Be Immoral? *by Mukundamala Dāsa* *Great spiritual authorities like Vyasadeva and Sukadeva Gosvami praise Lord Kṛṣṇa's apparently immoral acts.* When we tell someone that we worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, they are often taken by surprise: “How can you worship a God who is immoral?” They refer to Kṛṣṇa’s stealing the garments of the young *gopis* (the cowherd damsels of Vrindavan) and later dancing with them. How could Kṛṣṇa dare to take away the clothes of young girls and force them to stand naked before Him? How could He dance with other men’s wives in the middle of the night? And for all this, He is worshiped as God? That’s outrageous! This argument is not totally unfounded, because India has been the home of many ideologies that encouraged some of the most perverted forms of sexual exploitation. In the name of spirituality, many pseudo *yogis* and spiritual teachers have indulged in all kinds of illicit relationships with women and even encouraged their followers to do so. Falsely claiming to be on the highest spiritual platform, such people justify their activities by saying they are following Lord Kṛṣṇa, the “god of love.” This has led to much confusion and misunderstanding. The activities of Kṛṣṇa with the *gopis* are some of the most misunderstood pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a great nineteenth-century saint, predicted that one of the challenges for the modern person in understanding the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* would be the Tenth Canto, where Kṛṣṇa’s loving pastimes with the *gopis* are discussed. One may wonder, how can a book considered the *summum bonum,* the culmination of all philosophical understanding and the highest wisdom of a tradition, glorify such activities as most worshipable? Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura answers this question by posing a counter-question: If a layperson can know that such activities are abominable, wouldn’t Vyasadeva, the author of the *Bhagavatam,* and Sukadeva Gosvami, the narrator, know this fact? Vyasadeva was the literary incarnation of God, and Sukadeva Gosvami was a *paramahamsa,* a person in the highest renounced order of life. Why would they discuss immoral topics? Throughout the first nine cantos of the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam,* Vyasadeva condemns material attachment and the degrading power of lust. Through the stories of Ajamila, Saubhari, and Pururava, for example, we learn of the dangers of illicit and immoral sex. Therefore, when Vyasadeva introduces Kṛṣṇa’s apparent immorality in the Tenth Canto, we should realize that this is something drastically different from what we have encountered so far. These activities must be special—supramundane and transcendental. *Lust and Love: The Perversion and the Original* The Vedic understanding is that God has both a male and female aspect of divinity. This divinity manifests in the form of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Lakshmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, and other expansions and incarnations of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. The Caitanya-caritāmṛita (*Ādi* 4.56) explains: > radha-Kṛṣṇa eka atma, dui dehadhari’ > anyonye vilase rasa asvadana kari’ “Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one and the same, but They have assumed two bodies. Thus They enjoy each other, tasting the mellows of love.” Both members of the divine couple are God in identity, but both are not God in personality. One person manifests two personalities. The female form Rādhārāṇī (and similarly Lakshmi and Sita) is God in identity but without the personality of God. She has a female form and a female mood, and in that way she exchanges love with Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme God, and Rādhārāṇī is the same God in the form of His topmost devotee. Rādhārāṇī’s confidential associates, the *gopis* and *sakhis,* are Her female expansions who assist Her in Her service to Kṛṣṇa. They too are not God in identity but devotees of God. Before we can understand and appreciate the esoteric exchanges between the male and female divine forms, we need to understand that as spirit souls distinct from the body, our material identity as male or female has no spiritual significance. And therefore we can never judge Kṛṣṇa’s activities based on the activities of men and women in this world. The *Bhagavad-gītā* (15.1) explains that everything in the material world is a perverted reflection of things in the spiritual world, where everything exists in its original pure state. The human male and female forms are fashioned according to the divine male and female forms of God. God and the spiritual world are perfect and complete, but their reflected forms in the material world are influenced by the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. As we see, one of the strongest relationships in this world is the one between a male and a female, and the whole world is moving under its spell. Unfortunately, this relationship often takes many ugly and horrible forms under the spell of the modes. The spiritual world, being free from the influence of the modes, presents this relationship in its pristine form. *The Gopis’ Love for Kṛṣṇa Is Supreme* Before introducing Kṛṣṇa’s loving pastimes with the *gopis,* the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* discusses Kṛṣṇa’s intimate love for many other devotees in His various incarnations to show how love is the main ingredient that attracts the Lord, not the external, physical form. Described in great detail are Lord Narasimhadeva’s love for Prahlada, Lord Rama’s love for Hanuman, Lord Vishnu’s love for the residents of Vaikuntha, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s love for the Pāṇḍavas and Parikshit, and His love for His cowherd boyfriends and His parents Nanda and Yashoda. Great sages like Narada Muni and the four Kumaras, demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, and kings like Ambarisha and Bharata have expressed their deep devotion through their prayers. In this way, through the multiplicity of human-divine relationships, the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* reminds us about God’s unlimited love for us—to inspire us to give up our attachment to the temporary world of matter and instead cultivate our lost love for the Supreme Lord. The focus is not on male-female relationships alone, but on the relationship between God and His devotee. Whether Lord Narasimhadeva embraces Prahlada, or Lord Rama embraces Hanuman, or Kṛṣṇa embraces the *gopis,* all such dealings are based on pure spiritual love. Despite dramatic differences among devotees, their devotional mood is always the common element that comes out of each story. Once we understand this fundamental principle behind each narration of the **Bhagavatam*,* we can safely venture into understanding Kṛṣṇa’s dealings with the *gopis.* Kṛṣṇa is not an ordinary male but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the *gopis,* headed by Rādhārāṇī, are not ordinary women but the topmost devotees of Kṛṣṇa. This of course does not mean that the male and female forms, or any other form in the spiritual world, are unimportant. Once we understand that spiritual dealings are untainted by material contamination, and once we appreciate the substance of devotion, the *Bhagavatam* then reveals the higher reality about various levels of devotion. Ordinarily we would say that lust, or the desire to satisfy one’s own senses, is selfish, so naturally love would mean selflessness. But to distinguish love from lust, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami goes one step further. He writes: > atmendriya-priti-vancha—tare bali ‘kama’ > krishnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema’ nama “The desire to gratify one’s own senses is *kama* [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Kṛṣṇa is *prema* [love].” (Caitanya-caritāmṛita*, Ādi* 4.165) The important thing to note in this definition is that Kṛṣṇa has senses, just as we have ours. God is not just an abstract impersonal concept; He has eyes, ears, and other senses. More than getting over the selfish desire to satisfy one’s own senses, the desire to satisfy Kṛṣṇa’s senses is the complete definition of love. The highest summit of selflessness is when our desires are God-centered. There are five primary devotional mellows (relationships or flavors) in which devotees serve Kṛṣṇa: *shanta* (neutrality), *dasya* (servitorship), *sakhya* (friendship), *vatsalya* (parenthood), and *madhurya* (amorous love). Each mellow, or *rasa,* is meant to give Kṛṣṇa pleasure in a specific way, and each devotee in the spiritual world serves Kṛṣṇa in one of these *rasas.* Even the *shanta*-rasa—the lowest in the transcendental hierarchy—is characterized by complete detachment from material desire, which means the love is not based on the external appearance as a male or female. Among the five **rasa*s,* the *madhurya-*rasa** is considered the highest, and the devotees serving Kṛṣṇa in this *rasa* are the topmost. The *gopis* want to offer the best food and drinks to Kṛṣṇa, they decorate themselves beautifully so Kṛṣṇa is happy looking at them, they sing the best songs to please Kṛṣṇa, they dance for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure, and in this way they try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa in all possible ways. Rādhārāṇī, the *gopis*, and all the devotees have their individual spiritual forms, and they please Kṛṣṇa in their own ways. This is the real point of transcendence. Spiritual life is a living, loving reality, where every individual has a specific mood and form. What we see in this world hints at the reality of the spiritual world. The human female is suited to offer the best service to the human male. Modern women may reject this as male chauvinism, but a look at the robust traditional family units in India will reveal this to be true. When love and trust exist in a relationship, there is no exploitation. The male-female relationship is based on mutual service, but the service the male offers the female differs from the service the female offers the male. This cooperative and loving relationship has its origin in the spiritual relationship between the male and female forms of God. The selfless nature of the *gopis’* love was proved when once Kṛṣṇa pretended to be sick and no physician could cure Him. “If I put the dust from the feet of My devotees on My head,” Kṛṣṇa said, “I can be cured.” But who would dare to put his/her foot-dust on Kṛṣṇa’s head? Everyone refused—except the **gopis*.* When they learned of Kṛṣṇa’s suffering and how to relieve it, they immediately agreed to take the dust from their feet and put it on His head. They didn’t care about the consequences, and they were prepared to suffer in hell for the rest of eternity if they could give a moment’s pleasure to Kṛṣṇa. This selfless nature of the *gopis* qualifies them as the topmost devotees of Kṛṣṇa, and their female forms allow them to offer the highest service in *madhurya-rasa.* *Kṛṣṇa Upholds Morality* Many young *gopis* had worshiped the goddess Katyayani to get Kṛṣṇa as their husband. They didn’t want to marry anyone else, and they eagerly hoped that Kṛṣṇa would marry them. Understanding the hearts of the *gopis*, Kṛṣṇa decided to fulfill their desire. One day as the *gopis* entered the Yamuna's waters, leaving their clothes on the riverbank, Kṛṣṇa suddenly appeared there, took all their garments, and climbed a nearby *kadamba* tree. He demanded that to get their clothes back, the *gopis* would have to come out naked and collect them. In commenting on this pastime, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that in the Vedic culture a woman’s wealth is her chastity. She can appear unclothed only in front of her husband. When Kṛṣṇa demanded that the *gopis* appear naked in front of Him, He was not hankering to enjoy their naked beauty—if that were His intention, He could have exploited them without returning their clothes. Instead He was eager to fulfill their desires and accept them as His wives. He was accepting the mood and purpose behind their act. In the *Mahābhārata,* when the Kauravas attempted to insult Draupadi in an open assembly Kṛṣṇa miraculously appeared and protected her chastity by supplying her an unlimited amount of cloth. He protects and upholds the morality of His devotees. *Kṛṣṇa Demands Transcendental Morality* Following moral principles, though superior to immorality, is not the perfection of spiritual life. Kṛṣṇa demands that one transcend all morality for the sake of achieving transcendence, which is beyond the confines of even moral principles. After instructing Arjuna on many subjects, Kṛṣṇa towards the end of the *Bhagavad-gītā* (18.66) urges him to give up all varieties of religion and surrender to Him completely: > sarva-dharman parityajya > mam ekam sharanam vraja > aham tvam sarva-papebhyo > mokshayishyami ma shucah "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." In the *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* we read about the wives of the ritualistic *brahmanas.* When they heard that Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma and Their cowherd boyfriends were hungry, they immediately collected all the food they'd prepared for their husbands' sacrifice and took it to where Kṛṣṇa was. Disregarding all the threats from their husbands and elders, they approached Lord Kṛṣṇa and pleaded with Him to accept them as His surrendered servants. In other words, they transcended all social customs and achieved the perfection of life by surrendering everything to Kṛṣṇa. Interestingly, Kṛṣṇa advised them to go back to their homes and follow their household duties. He assured them that they need not fear rejection from their families. They could remain united with Him by constantly remembering and chanting His glories. When the *gopis* came to dance with Kṛṣṇa in the middle of the night, He similarly advised them to return to their homes. Like the *brahmana's* wives, the *gopis* too had disregarded their elders to serve Kṛṣṇa. They were ready even to give up their chastity in relation to their husbands and risk being ostracized from society. Unlike the *brahmana's* wives, however, out of their intense love for Kṛṣṇa they could not follow His order to return home. And Kṛṣṇa could not refuse to accept their love. The *gopis* thus demonstrated the supreme level of renunciation, and that is why they are known as the greatest devotees of Kṛṣṇa. They transcended all moral obligations and surrendered their lives completely to Him. In ordinary human dealings, a woman who gives up her husband to go with her paramour is considered immoral and scandalous, because her action is based on selfish sensual pleasure. But in transcendental immorality, one gives up morality for the sake of serving Kṛṣṇa, and that is supremely glorious. Giving up sinful activities and selfish temptations is certainly good, but giving up even pious activities and our attachment to the good of this world for the sake of devotion to God is the highest good, the supreme religion. The *gopis* exemplified this quality to its perfection. *Lord Kṛṣṇa Proves His Godhood* Sukadeva Gosvami explains to Parikshit Mahārāja that Kṛṣṇa’s violation of moral principles for the sake of His devotees proves His position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If He were bound by moral codes of human society, how could He be called God? Kṛṣṇa is above all morality and immorality, not vice versa. When He appears to violate morality, He is not being immoral but is demonstrating His supremacy over morality. Unlike us, who may break moral principles under the force of alluring temptations, Kṛṣṇa is never motivated by selfish desire. He is always motivated by love, and everyone gets the supreme benefit whenever He breaks any moral principle. We can understand from the activities of Kṛṣṇa and the *gopis* that neither morality nor God reigns supreme. Love reigns supreme, even above God. Kṛṣṇa does not care to display His supreme divinity in front of His most confidential devotees. The residents of Vrindavan do not like to treat Kṛṣṇa as God. All they know is that Kṛṣṇa is their most lovable object. Under such circumstances, Kṛṣṇa is forced to conceal His divinity. And as a result, He feels free to exchange the most loving relations in the sweetest possible manner. *Mukundamala Dāsa is a member of the BTG India editorial team.* ## The Taste of Devotion *by Navina Syama Dāsa* *Only in our relationship with Kṛṣṇa can we achieve the full satisfaction that escapes us in the temporary things of this world.* The concept of *rasa* is pivotal to understanding Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy, but it is elusive and often misunderstood. Śrīla Prabhupāda followed the example of his *guru*, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Ṭhākura, and translated this Sanskrit term (a noun) as “*mellow*.” In American slang, *mellow* is an adjective meaning “laid back” or “relaxed.” Both *acaryas* use it as a noun, perhaps drawing on the word's standard definition as "soft, sweet, and full-flavored from ripeness, as fruit." With this understanding, a more functional (albeit less poetic) translation of *rasa*—and one Śrīla Prabhupāda also used—is “*taste*.” Although the overtones of sweetness and liquidity are thus lost, in the interest of clarity I will use the term *taste* rather than *mellow* throughout most of this article. By *taste* we do not indicate merely the flavor of food, but *taste* in the broadest sense of the word. *Rasa* is the pleasure we derive from an experience or relationship. As such, it is the impetus for everything we do; in all our endeavors, we act out of the desire to relish a particular **rasa*.* In the mundane world, *rasa* is experienced both physically and socially. Our five senses elicit *rasa* by coming in contact with desirable objects. For example, I can experience a certain *taste* by eating a juicy peach, by looking at the full moon rising over Niagara Falls, or by scratching the warm body of a baby calf. Each of these activities produces a distinctive feeling and provides a unique type of pleasure. These feelings exemplify *rasa* on the physical level. We also experience *rasa* through relationships. By conversing with an old friend or helping teach my young child to walk, I also “taste” something. Notice, however, that the experience varies from one relationship to another. I might describe myself as happy in both cases, but it’s not the same kind of happiness. This kind of *rasa* can be considered social, in that it involves interactions with other people rather than merely with objects. Of course, the physical pleasures described in the last paragraph may also evoke social *rasa* (the moon might remind me of camping with my family as a child), and social pleasures may also involve physical *rasa* (I might enjoy the sensation of holding my child’s hand while she walks), but one dimension or the other usually characterizes our experience more strongly. *The Source of Rasas* What is the source of these various ***rasa*s*,* and of our incessant desire to taste them? Vaishnava philosophy holds that the physical and socials **rasa*s* of this world are merely reflections of the original **rasa*s* of the transcendental realm, the pursuit of which is the natural proclivity of the soul. And what is the object from which (or, more accurately, whom) we elicit this sublimely pleasurable taste? It is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the *akhila *rasa*mrita murti*—the embodiment of all wonderful ambrosial **rasa*s*. By taking a closer look at the process of relishing spiritual *rasa* centered on Kṛṣṇa, we will be able to more clearly understand how mundane *rasa* operates and how it falls short of its perfect original counterpart. As living beings, we are dependent and incomplete emanations from Kṛṣṇa, the perfectly independent and eternally complete origin of everything. Like Him, we are inherently pleasure-seeking, but, unlike Him, we are not self-satisfied, and our only happiness lies in maintaining our connection with Him. And, in our natural state, we are indeed able to derive unending spiritual *rasa* by engaging in loving exchanges with the Lord. Of course, there are many flavors of this *rasa*, and no two living entities enjoy quite the same blend. Each of us has an eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa in which we enjoy a particular taste. We may be in an inactive, neutral relationship with Him, or we may be His servant, friend, parent, or lover. Within each of these basic designations, further variety is introduced through seven kinds of interaction one may have with the Lord, in which one can experience laughter, astonishment, chivalry, lamentation, anger, fear, dread, or some combination of these. As a result, *rasa* comes in infinite flavors. (It is important to note the inclusion of supposedly negative emotions in the above list. In the absolute world, even these give pleasure rather than pain.) So much for our natural situation in the kingdom of God. Down here, our innate propensity to seek pleasure through tasting *rasa* is misdirected. Without Kṛṣṇa in the picture, we turn to material objects and mundane relationships as independent sources of happiness. The process, however, remains the same. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives the example of eating a *rasgulla*, a popular Bengali sweet. He explains that the *rasgulla* takes the place of Kṛṣṇa as the object we are depending on to find pleasure. Just as living beings in the spiritual world elicit various tastes from Kṛṣṇa by serving Him in different relationships and moods, we elicit various forms of pleasure from the *rasgulla* by using our different senses: With our eyes we enjoy its white roundness, with our nose we enjoy its rosy scent, with our fingers we enjoy its soft squishiness, and with our tongue we enjoy its scrumptious taste. The same applies for social *rasa*. When we find pleasure through everyday interactions with friends and family members, we are using them as substitutes for Kṛṣṇa. *Corrupted Rasa* At this point, one may wonder how it is possible for us to derive any kind of *rasa* from matter or other tiny living entities. It is one thing to get pleasure from Kṛṣṇa, the complete whole and original embodiment of all *rasa*s, but what can these inferior replacements offer? On their own, nothing. Nevertheless, out of His kindness, Kṛṣṇa imbues them with a tiny portion of His energy—His illusory external energy—so that we fallen souls can find, in some small degree and in a distorted form, that which we abandoned the spiritual world for in search of pleasure without Him. As might be expected, however, given our original spiritual identity, the corrupted and indirect *rasa* we taste by thus lording it over matter is nowhere near as satisfying as the genuine *rasa* that comes from serving the Lord. Indeed, that is the lesson to be learned in this world. Any pleasure we derive from mundane objects and relationships is only the insubstantial shadow of what Kṛṣṇa can offer us. We simply have to let Him back into the picture and reawaken our dormant loving relationship with Him. Once we do, even our interactions with objects and other people will become spiritualized, and we’ll enjoy an unending cascade of flavorful mellows of every variety. As the Vedic aphorism states, raso vai sah, *rasa*m hy evayam labdhvanandi bhavati: “He Himself is *rasa*. And certainly one who achieves this *rasa* becomes *anandi,* filled with bliss.” (*Taittiriya Upanishad* 2.7.1.) *Navina Syama Dāsa is a disciple of His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami. His family lives in ISKCON's Rādhā Kalachandji community in Dallas, where he is an attorney with the United States Department of Labor and where his daughter attends TKG Academy.* ## Kṛṣṇa, the Reservoir of Compassion By Rasa Purusa Dasa *Lord Kṛṣṇa enters the battlefield of Kurukshetra overtly as the charioteer of Arjuna but covertly as the apostle of compassion.* Compassion can be defined as a passion to obviate or alleviate others' distress, and someone unable to bear another's distress is called compassionate. Numerous compassionate persons in the Vedic scriptures have created an indelible impression on the human mind. Among them, the kings named Sibi and Rantideva are especially noteworthy. *King Sibi and the Hawk* The *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam,* the *Ramayana,* and the *Mahābhārata* all relate the story of King Sibi, the ruler of a South Indian kingdom known for his philanthropy. One day, Indra and Agni came to test the limits of the king’s generosity, disguising themselves as a hawk and a dove. The hawk chased the dove, which landed on King Sibi’s lap, trembling with fear. The hawk demanded the king surrender the dove, its prey. But the king refused, saying that the dove had sought his shelter and he would not betray the rules of sanctuary. After a great deal of argument, the hawk agreed to leave the dove alone if, to feed the hawk, the king would carve a chunk of his own flesh equal to the dove’s weight. After endlessly slicing his flesh and placing it on the scale, however, he could not equal the dove's weight. He then threw his entire body onto the scale, but even then the scale tipped in favor of the dove. At this point the hawk and the dove revealed their true identities and blessed the king for his compassionate traits. *Rantideva Passes the Test* *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* tells us the story of another Vedic king, Rantideva, who had no material ambitions and hence did not enjoy the opulence of his position. He did not struggle to accumulate wealth but accepted whatever came his way by the mercy of providence. When guests appeared before him, he would offer them whatever he had on his dining menu. On account of this charitable impulse, he and his family would often undergo inadvertent fasting. Rantideva perceived the presence of God in the heart of every living being and believed that every living being deserved to be treated with due respect and compassion. Because of this perception, he did not discriminate in his treatment of *brahmanas,* lower-caste *shudras,* or *candalas* (dog-eaters or outcastes). He even considered humans and animals to be on the same platform. One time, after fasting for forty-eight days, the king settled down to consume a sumptuous meal with his family. A *brahmana* guest arrived, and the king felt honored to receive the exalted guest and gave him a share of the food. The *brahmana* ate and left. The king divided the remaining food among his family members; but when he was just about to begin eating, a *shudra* guest arrived, and the king gave him a share of the food. A *candala* guest accompanied by dogs then arrived. He told the king that he and his dogs were hungry and wanted something to eat. The king offered the remaining food to the dogs and their master with respect and also offered his obeisances to them. All that was left of the meal was enough water to quench the king's thirst. But just as the king moved to drink, a poor, fatigued, and thirsty *candala* arrived and begged some water. Due to his soberness and generosity, the king, now on the verge of death from fasting and lack of water, did not hesitate to offer the remnant water to the *candala*. As it turned out, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, and Lord Siva had come in disguise to deprive the king of his meals and thus show the world the depth of his compassion. Compassion is one of the sixty-four superexcellent qualities of Kṛṣṇa listed by Śrīla Rupa Gosvami in *Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu.* Living entities, being infinitesimal parts of Kṛṣṇa, receive the gift of compassion as a legacy of Kṛṣṇa. In the conditional souls this gift remains in a dormant state on account of their association with the illusory energy of the Lord (*maya*), whereas liberated souls like King Sibi and King Rantideva not only distinctly exhibited the gift of compassion in their day-to-day life, but also passed the tests of the controllers of the universe. *Two Descents by Compassionate Kṛṣṇa* Kṛṣṇa is a reservoir of compassion. Some five thousand years ago, during His earthly sojourn of 125 years, He enacted pastimes copiously adorned with compassion. Episodes that highlight Lord Kṛṣṇa’s compassionate trait include His swallowing a fierce forest fire to save the cowherd boys, and His lifting Govardhan Hill on the little finger of His left hand for seven days to serve as an umbrella to protect the residents of Vrindavan from the onslaught of rain and hail. In the *Mahābhārata* Lord Kṛṣṇa entered the battlefield of Kurukshetra overtly as the charioteer of Arjuna but covertly as an apostle of compassion. With His compassionate glance, He liberated from material bondage every living entity that died during the battle. He also cast His compassionate glance on grandsire Bhishmadeva, who, sixty days after falling in the battle, breathed his last in the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. And earlier, when Arjuna got confused after scanning his foes on the battlefield, the compassionate Kṛṣṇa, in his ostensible mission of enlightening Arjuna, delivered the immortal *Bhagavad-gītā* for the ultimate good of humanity. Reeling under the surge of intense compassion, in 1486 CE Kṛṣṇa appeared in the guise of His devotee, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and stayed on earth for forty-eight years to teach and exemplify His own worship. Lord Kṛṣṇa had revealed in the *Bhagavad-gītā* that He is *veda-vit*, the knower of the *Vedas,* also called **shruti*.* Caitanya Mahāprabhu picked up and broadcast the *shruti* *mantra* Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, enshrined in the *Kali-santarana Upanishad* of the *Kṛṣṇa-yajur-veda.* Pointing it out as the maha-*mantra*—the great chant for deliverance —Lord Caitanya dedicated it to the baneful souls of Kali-yuga, the present spiritually degraded age. Chanting the sixteen words of the *maha-mantra* is the most potent instrument for deliverance in this age. As an indication of the compassionate nature of the *maha-mantra*, the word *Hare* found therein is the vocative form of *Hara,* a name for Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī. The supreme internal potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa, she also represents His compassionate nature. In Chapter 22 of *The Nectar of Devotion,* Śrīla Prabhupāda offers a befitting tribute to Lord Kṛṣṇa's compassion under the subhead "32. Compassionate," which concludes: “Because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by Rādhārāṇī, always pray to Rādhārāṇī for Kṛṣṇa's compassion.” All this and lot more make *Kṛṣṇa* a byword for ultimate compassion. *Our Potential for Compassion* Kṛṣṇa is a paragon of compassion, and the living entities, being part of Kṛṣṇa, are potentially compassionate. However degraded a person maybe be externally, internally he bustles with potential compassion. For example, I have often observed that after a road accident, a dreadful or sinful person will run to rescue the injured. We need to revive our latent, ingrained compassionate impulse by practicing it in our daily life. Like love, the emotion of compassion is contagious. We may remember the saying "Love begets love" but forget that "Compassion begets compassion"—a truth we should wake up to every morning and clutch to our heart every night. *Rasa Purusha Dāsa, a disciple of His Holiness Gopala Kṛṣṇa Goswami, passed away while this article was being prepared for publication. He was a chartered civil engineer retired from the government of Haryana and living in Mumbai. We offer our condolences to his family and friends.* ## How I Came to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness *Making Progress Toward Seeing the Lord* *By Ravikant Jagtap* *He could not see the Lord, but the Lord, seeing him, drew him close after his long search for truth.* Right from my childhood I had serious health problems. At five I had severe ear pain and asthma. At thirteen I developed a brain tumor that took me to several hospitals. Some friendly Christians approached me during that time and suggested I come to church and attend their prayer sessions. Their love and care moved my heart, and their prayers and concern for my health comforted me and uplifted my spirits. But after some time, they started blaspheming various *devas* of our Vedic tradition. They criticized the Vedic scriptures and the devotional practices described in them. I soon realized that all their pleasing talks were a covert attempt to convert me to their faith. I gave up all connections with them. While in school I enrolled in a reiki course in Mumbai, and much to my astonishment the twelve-year-old daughter of my instructor diagnosed my illness and pointed out the exact location of the tumor inside my brain—without any prior knowledge of my ailments. This experience gave me a profound realization: there are higher powers beyond our sense perception. Our physical senses are limited and incapable of providing us complete knowledge of our self and the universe around us. Several questions started brewing up in my mind, and my quest for spirituality began. I delved into various spiritual, quasi-spiritual, and metaphysical practices. One spiritual leader in a small town in Maharashtra really inspired me—his talks ignited my curiosity to know more about the existence of God. My whole family got attracted to him, and within six months we all took initiation from him. I also got involved in the weekly programs of an organization where I got lots of love and my first exposure to the *Bhagavad-gītā.* I would also regularly hear the talks of a prominent woman *guru* who convinced me that the Vedic literatures were not mere books of mythology, as falsely taught in modern history textbooks, but describe historical facts of bygone ages, millions of years ago. Her *kirtanas* and philosophical presentations impressed me. *Darkness in My Life* In 2001 calamity struck again and darkness loomed into my life—literally. While studying for my HSC board exams (standardized exams for class 12 students), I realized that I could not read my textbooks properly. Within ten days I lost my eyesight completely—both my eyes were shut and my eyeballs would not move. I then lost the ability to speak, eat, or drink, and developed unbearable headaches. Any liquid I would take would come out through my nose. After two unsuccessful biopsies, the doctors wanted to open up my skull and check for a tumor. But my father protested: “I will let my child die in peace instead of becoming an object of doctors’ experiments.” We felt disappointed and hopeless. I had heard the saying “When God shuts one door, He opens another.” And in 2002 a door of hope opened when a specialist doctor suggested I take Panchagavya Chikitsa treatment, based on cow urine and other cow products. By practicing *yoga* and Ayurvedic processes of body purification along with this new treatment, I experienced some miraculous results: within two or three months I started speaking a few short words and eating a little food. My headaches subsided, my eyes opened, and my eyeballs started moving. Most of the disease was cured within two years, although I did not regain my eyesight. *Continuing the Search for Truth* My health almost regained*,* I resumed my spiritual quest. One famous spiritual leader from North India explained Brahman by saying that God is ultimately impersonal. I heard him carefully*,* but I wasn’t satisfied at heart with his explanation. Another leader*,* from Mumbai*,* talked about the imminent Third World War and how only his followers were going to be saved. When he declared that he ate meat and smoked cigarettes*,* people applauded. Disgusted*,* I left the place*,* never to return. I visited several other **yogi*s* and teachers. One taught how to invoke the *kundalini* and the various *cakras* within the body. A *yogi* in Maharashtra was able to miraculously solve the problems of his followers, and thus the followers considered him God. A *yogi* in South India produced gold chains out of ash. Millions thronged to see him and hear from him. I was not impressed by their abilities, because I felt that attaining them is not the goal of life. Self-realization is the ultimate goal, and one needs to be careful not to get distracted by various mystic powers one may achieve while practicing spiritual disciplines. I appreciated his social service but could not accept his philosophy. Questions in my mind continued to haunt me. I met a group of *yogis* and *yoginis* who predicted that Kali-yuga, the current age, would end soon and that their brand of *yoga* was the only saving grace for humanity. They blasphemed the Vedic scriptures, alleging they were man-made. They claimed that the knowledge they give comes directly from God. I used to ask them many questions, but I rarely got a reasonable or satisfying answer. As with others, I left disgusted. Another leader sounded logical and rational in his discourses, but he condemned the worship of God in temples as bogus. I felt hurt when he rejected as superstitious the worship of Lord Vitthala, the famous Vishnu Deity in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. I was particularly dissatisfied with his dismissal of the experiences of renowned saints with Lord Vitthala as mere illusions, and traditional religious observances such as Ekadashi and pilgrimage to Pandharpur as superstitions. I recalled my visits to Pandharpur some years back, and how my heart had been drawn to the simplicity of the pilgrims and their unalloyed devotion to Vitthala. The sweet singing of the *abhangas* (devotional poems) of Tukarama, the famous sixteenth-century devotee of Lord Vitthala, had invoked a deep sense of devotion in me. Upon hearing his blasphemy of this age-old tradition, I rejected this pseudo religious leader outright. Although my encounters with most religious leaders and *yogis* were disappointing and frustrating, some teachers inspired me and kept alive my hopes of meeting a genuine saint. One, whose simple teachings and clear focus impressed me, taught me to remain detached from pleasant and unpleasant sensations triggered by the mind, to witness all events with neutrality, and to remain equipoised in success and failure, happiness and distress. He emphasized avoiding sinful activities, increasing piety, and purifying one’s mind. My physical disability allowed me to meet several prominent spiritual leaders. I felt humble and grateful, but still my heart hankered for something more. As the potpourri of my spiritual experiences was cooking, my friend Sharad became a member of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (ISKCON). We would have soulful discussions on spiritual topics for hours together. Our discussions would eventually end in argument about God’s nature and form—does He have a form, or is He formless and impersonal? Most of the time I prevailed, until one day my friend stunned me by showing me a verse from the *Bhagavad-gītā* (7.24): “Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.” All these years I had learned that God is impersonal and takes a personal form for His devotee. *How can He have a form and be present everywhere at the same time?* I thought. *God is unlimited, and having a form would limit Him.* I decided to check other translations of the same verse, and I saw that all other writers gave the opposite translation—that God is ultimately impersonal—thus confirming my doubts that ISKCON is wrong. But deep within I felt my friend was right. When I read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s commentary on various *Gita* verses, my impersonal barriers started to crumble and I slowly began to realize that God is ultimately a person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He can have a divine form and be unlimited and omnipresent simultaneously. Although Śrīla Prabhupāda’s writings convinced me of Kṛṣṇa’s divinity and the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the behavior of some devotees put me off, and I continued my search. Although I met many other teachers, I couldn’t commit myself to any of their paths. Either the teachers were unimpressive or the philosophies were unconvincing, sometimes even bewildering. Feeling distraught, I eagerly looked for someone who could answer my questions. I prayed to God: “I don’t know if You are a person or ultimately impersonal. Please guide me and show me the right path.” *Divine Intervention* I am sure the Lord heard my prayers and answered my call. No, I did not have a divine vision or a mystical experience. But I was confident that God was personally guiding me and making me meet His representatives. I met a spiritual leader who was a staunch devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. His lectures were logical and strictly based on the Vedic scriptures. Quoting from various scriptures, he soundly defeated all opposing arguments and established the Vedic conclusions thoroughly. He convinced me that *bhakti,* the path of love, is the topmost method of self-realization. In his presence I felt easily drawn to Lord Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes. This was a beacon of hope for me. But soon I encountered a problem that created serious doubts in me: He emphasized **guru*-bhakti,* the need to surrender oneself to a *guru*, but he himself had never accepted a *guru*. His followers defended him by saying that no one was qualified enough to be his *guru*. But, I wondered, if Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya accepted a *guru*, why can't this person? Then more discordant factors came up. He emphasized *smaranam,* or meditation on the Lord's pastimes, but belittled the importance of *kirtana,* the chanting of the holy names, even though all scriptures recommend it for this age. He said that a real *guru* never shows his ecstasies, but his ecstasies were broadcast on television. He said that one should perform devotional practice in the mood of the *gopis,* but I felt that was too difficult for most of us, who have so much contamination in our heart. Around that time, I heard a recorded lecture by Śrīla Prabhupāda that touched me. He mentioned that one should gradually elevate one’s consciousness by first serving the Lord in the mood of a surrendered servant. When one is sufficiently purified, devotion in higher relationships with Kṛṣṇa automatically manifests. When followers of the other spiritual leader proclaimed that he was nondifferent from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I ended my connection with him. I knew that nothing could be further from the truth. I felt disheartened, unable to find proper shelter and guidance. I was attracted to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, so I thought I would try ISKCON again, although my experiences with the organization had been disappointing. Still, I had found no aberration in the philosophy of ISKCON. Śrīla Prabhupāda, with his genius and vision, established a wonderful platform for practicing spirituality. Especially conducive for spiritual growth were the temples, which were full of devotees with whom one could consult any time. I started visiting the Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rasabihari temple at Juhu, Mumbai, and participated in the *kirtanas.* I had a heart-transforming experience when a devotee approached me and asked, “Why do you come to the temple if you cannot see?” I had no answer. So he provided the answer. “You should say that I may not be able to see the Lord, but the Lord can see that I have come to see Him.” His answer satisfied my heart to the core. I had never felt like this before. Until then, I did not really know the goal of my quest for spiritual truths. But his answer made me realize that the goal was to satisfy the Lord. And the realization came in a simple yet heart-touching way. I wiped tears from my face. The memory of this experience inspires and rejuvenates me even today. After this incident I became more devoted to ISKCON and soon started chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra*. The *Sikshashtaka* prayers of Lord Caitanya deeply moved me, especially the third verse, which emphasizes the need for humility to properly chant the holy names. Then I heard talks by His Holiness Rādhānath Swami Mahārāja where he repeatedly quoted this verse. Upon closely observing him, I felt he exemplified the verse's message. His unpretentious, unassuming nature attracted me. “A real *sadhu*," I once heard him say, "is not one who takes a higher position to uplift fallen souls. A real *sadhu* takes a lower position than the most fallen soul and gently pushes him up.” This statement changed my outlook toward life. *Getting a Positive Point of View* In July 2007 I started getting epileptic seizures, up to twenty a day. The physical and psychological pain agonized me and left me feeling gloomy and empty. Once, Gaura Gopala Dāsa, lecturing at the Chowpatty temple in Mumbai, mentioned the importance of prayer. One striking point of the lecture was that if Kṛṣṇa is giving us problems in life, that means He is trying to say, “My dear friend, this material world is not for you. Please return to Me quickly.” I was enlivened to hear this. The point was so pertinent. What happened next is deeply etched into my heart, and I pray it stays for the rest of my life. Gaura Gopala Dāsa started leading the *kirtana.* There were hundreds of young men in the temple, all swaying rhythmically. The intensity of the frustration of my physical and mental pains piqued my emotions, and I burst out crying and praying. Some devotees took me to the center of the temple hall and said, “Come on, friend. Please don’t waste your tears. Dance with us.” They graciously taught me the dance steps. I was greatly moved by their kind gesture and by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. During the whole *kirtana,* I cried and danced. The next day, after an attack occurred I remembered my experience in the temple and chanted intensely. This practice gave me the strength to fight the frustration and anxiety and psychological pains. The most inspiring aspect of ISKCON’s philosophy is its practicality. Unlike in other organizations, no one gave me false hopes of prosperity and recovery from illness. By studying Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings, I understood how Kṛṣṇa consciousness helps you transcend worldly problems. By the power of *bhakti,* material problems become insignificant. Now whenever I think of my physical problems, I don’t get discouraged. People in other organizations used to allure me by saying that if I did this or that I would regain my eyesight. But in Kṛṣṇa consciousness nobody told me that by chanting I'd regain my vision. Rather, I was encouraged to accept the benefit of being unable to see this tempting world. Still, in the initial days I felt bad that I could not see the Chowpatty Deities, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopinathaji, the glories of whose beauty devotees always used to sing. Now I go in front of the Deities so that They can see me, and I ask devotees around me to describe how They look. I have full faith that the Lord and His holy names are identical, and that if I chant without offense, someday the Lord, through His names, will reveal to me His transcendental form. *Ravikant Jagtap is married and has two children. He lives in Mumbai and teaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness to young couples and college students.* ## The Nature of the Self: A Gaudiya Vaishnava Understanding *by Ravīndra Svarupa Dāsa* *Vaishnava Vedanta resolves an apparent contradiction in the* Upanishads, *which assert both the identity between* *the individual soul and the Supreme Soul and their difference.* *The Sparks of God* The soul, or self (*atma*), is described as a separated, minute fragment of God, the Supersoul (param*atma*). God is like a fire; the individual souls, sparks of the fire. As the analogy suggests, the self and the Superself are simultaneously one with and different from each other. They are the same in quality, for both the soul and the Supersoul are **brahman*,* spirit. Yet they differ in quantity, since the Superself (*param *brahman**—“supreme *brahman*”—in *Bhagavad-gītā* 10.12) is infinitely great while the individual selves are infinitesimally small. In the *Upanishads* some texts assert the identity between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, while others speak of the difference between them. The way the Vaishnava Vedanta resolves this apparent contradiction recognizes identity and difference as equally real. Such a reconciliation is conveyed in the *Katha Upanishad* (2.2.13) in the words **nityo* *nityanam* cetanash cetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman:* “There is one eternal being out of many eternals, one conscious being out of many conscious beings. It is the one who provides for the needs of the many.” This text states, in effect, that there is a class division in transcendence. It says that there are two categorically different types of eternal, conscious—hence, spiritual—beings. One category is singular in number (*nityo*), a set with only one member. This, then, is the category of God, who is one without a second. The other class is plural (*nityanam*), containing innumerable members. This is the category of the souls. The members of both classes are *brahman,* spirit. Yet one of them is unique, peerless, in a class by Himself, for He is the singular, independent self-sustaining sustainer of all others. Each of the others possesses a multitude of peers, and all of them alike are intrinsically dependent upon the one. The one is absolute; the many are relative. *The Energies of the Absolute* Fundamental to the Vaishnava Vedanta is the doctrine that the Absolute Truth possesses energies. (The impersonalistic Advaita Vedanta, in contrast, denies the reality of the energies.) The energies are divided into different categories; one of them comprises the innumerable individual souls. The “Absolute Truth” denotes that from which everything emanates, by which it is sustained, and to which it finally returns. The products of the Absolute are thought of as its *shakti,* its energy or potency. Heat and light, for example, are considered the “energies” of fire. Just as the sun projects itself everywhere by its radiation yet remains apart, so the Absolute expands its own energies to produce (and, in a fashion, to become) the world while remaining separate from it. Unlike the sun, the Absolute can emanate unlimited energy and remain undiminished. (The arithmetic of the Absolute: One minus one equals one.) In short, while nothing is different from God, God is different from everything. The host of souls makes up the category of divine energy called the *tatastha-shakti. Tata* means “bank,” as of a river or lake. *Tatastha* means “situated on the bank.” The souls are characterized as marginal or borderline energy because they are, as it were, between two worlds. They can dwell within either of the other two major energies, the internal (*antaranga-shakti*) and the external (*bahiranga-shakti*). The internal potency is also known as the spiritual energy (*cit-shakti*), and the external potency is also called the material energy (*maya-shakti*). The internal potency expands as the transcendental realm, the eternal kingdom of God. The external potency expands as the material world, which is sometimes manifest and sometimes unmanifest. Because souls are spiritual, their original home is the spiritual kingdom. Almost all souls dwell there. These are called eternally liberated souls. Only a tiny minority of souls inhabit this material world. These are called fallen, or conditioned, souls. Souls are small samples of God. Hence they possess a minute quantity of that freedom which God possesses in full. Although they are eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, and although their *dharma*, or essential nature, is to serve God, they may still, in the exercise of that freedom, willfully turn away from divine service. Thereupon these souls fall into the inhospitable realm of the external, material energy. Because souls are constitutionally servants, even the rebellious souls remain under God’s control, but that control is now exercised indirectly and unfavorably through the agency of material nature. Souls do not have the freedom not to be controlled by God, but they do choose freely how they wish to be controlled. Those who will not voluntarily be controlled by the Lord are controlled involuntarily by material nature. For this reason, spiritual souls become incarcerated within matter. Under the superintendence of the Lord, there is a confluence of the marginal and the external energies, and the creation arises. *Spirits in the Material World* The presence of spirit within the material world is disclosed immediately to us by consciousness. Consciousness is the symptom of the soul. It is the current or the energy of the soul. Consciousness does not arise as a by-product of the material energy. A material object like a table or chair is entirely an object and in no way a subject. It does not undergo experiences. It has no significance for itself. An embodied soul, a living being, on the other hand, is a subject; it has significance for itself as well as for others; it undergoes experiences. The claim that the soul is a “metaphysical entity” beyond all possible experience is simply false. Not only do we experience the soul; the soul is the very condition for our having any experiences at all. Thus, souls are fundamental, irreducible entities in the world. Each living, conscious being is of a different category from the material energy which embodies and surrounds it. The *Upanishads* declare *aham brahmasmi:* "I am *brahman;* I am spirit." The corollary is: "I am not matter." And further: "I am not this body." Human beings achieve their full potential when they realize this. The material elements, of which living bodies are made, are traditionally given as eight: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego. They are arranged in sequence from the grossest to the subtlest, that is, from the most apparent to our senses to the least. The first five are the gross elements (*maha-bhutas*); the last three, the subtle elements (*sukshma-bhutas*). The gross elements become more intelligible to us when translated as: solids, liquids, gases, radiant energy, and space. The subtle elements, taken together, make up what we in the West generally call the “mind.” The subtle element *manas,* or mind, is the locus of habit, of normal thinking, feeling, and willing according to one’s established mind-set. *Buddhi,* or intelligence, is the higher faculty of discrimination and judgment; it determines mind-sets and comes to the fore when we undergo conversions or paradigm shifts. *Ahankara,* or the sense of self, is the faculty by which the embodied soul assumes a false or illusory identity in the material world. Conditioned souls attain human form after transmigrating upward through the scale of beings; thereupon they become capable of self-realization and liberation. Liberation means giving up the false identification of the self with the gross and subtle material coils and regaining one’s original spiritual form as a servant of God. Even in the conditioned state, the soul always remains a spiritual being. Like a dreamer who projects his identity onto an illusory dream-self, the conditioned soul acquires a false self of matter. Although the self is by nature eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss, this nature becomes covered by illusion. Identifying with the material body, the soul is plunged into the nightmare of history, trapped in the revolutions of repeated birth and death (*mrityu-samsara*). This false identification by the embodied souls with their psychophysical coverings is the cause of all their suffering. The quest by conditioned souls for happiness in this world inevitably fails. The eternal souls naturally seek eternal happiness, yet they seek it where all happiness is temporary. The fulfillment of the most common and basic desire, that of self-preservation, has not once met with success. Indeed, the deluded souls do not know that matters are just the opposite of the way they seem. Gratification of the senses is in fact the generator of suffering, not happiness. This is because each act of sense gratification intensifies the soul’s false identification with the body. Consequently, when the body undergoes disease, senescence, and death, the materially absorbed living beings experience all these as happening to themselves. Death is an illusion they have imposed upon themselves owing to their desire to enjoy in this world. So enjoying, their agony continues unabated. A mind brimming with unfulfilled yearnings propels them, at the time of death, into new material bodies, to begin yet another round. *Recovering the Authentic Self* Fallen souls have been granted a false material identity because they reject their authentic spiritual identity. The traces of that rejection are found everywhere. We see that all organisms, from microbes on up, are driven by the mechanism of desire and hate, by “approach” and “avoidance.” This duality is the reverberation of the original sinful will that propelled them into this world. The original sinful desire is “Why can’t I be God?” And the original sinful hate, “Why should Kṛṣṇa be God?” When souls evince the desire to become the Lord, the Lord responds by granting them the illusion of independent lordship. They enter the material kingdom, to be provided with a sequence of false identities—costumes fabricated out of material energy—along with an inventory of objects which they think they can dominate and enjoy. Even so, the Lord accompanies them in their wanderings, dwelling in their hearts as He works to bring about their eventual rectification and return from exile. When the soul in the depth of his being again turns to God, the Lord makes all arrangements for his inauthentic, illusory life to end. The renovation of real life is called **bhakti*-*yoga**—reconnecting the soul with the Supersoul (*yoga*) by loving devotional service (*bhakti*). *Bhakti* rests upon the principle that desire and activity are not in themselves bad. The soul itself is the source of desire and activity. The original, pure desire of the soul is to satisfy the senses of the Lord. This is called *prema,* or love. When souls contact matter, their love becomes transformed into lust (*kama*), which is the desire to satisfy one’s own senses. The practice of **bhakti*-*yoga** reconverts lust into love. Desire is not suppressed or repressed; it is purified. One may call this “sublimation,” but it should be understood that when desire is thus sublimated it returns to its own natural and aboriginal state. The world, the body with its senses, and the sense objects are not to be enjoyed, but neither are they to be renounced. The world is God’s energy, and it should not be decried as false or evil. Rather, the elements of this world are to be engaged in divine service. When that is done, the veil of illusion is lifted, and everything and everyone is seen in its true identity: in relationship to God. The way to see divinity everywhere and in everything is to use everything in the Lord’s service. God is the first of fact, but our materially contaminated senses cannot perceive Him. When, however, the senses become purified by being engaged in the Lord’s service, they regain their capacity to perceive God directly. Such purified souls are fully joyful. They neither hanker nor lament. Their happiness does not depend upon the course of circumstance. They see all living beings as the same. They see that all the agony and hopelessness of the world is exorcised when the illusion that has rendered us oblivious of our own identity is dispelled, and they engage themselves in the highest welfare work of rousing sleeping souls from their nightmare. For themselves, they take no mind of what becomes of the future of their lives. Because they have no material desires, there is no further birth for them in this world. Instead, they attain their original spiritual forms in the kingdom of God, spiritual bodies suitable for pastimes of love with the Lord. *Spirits in the Spiritual World* The Absolute Truth has both an impersonal and a personal feature, but the personal feature is the last word in Godhead. To say the Absolute is a person is to say that it has senses (*indriyas*). Traditionally, the senses are ten: those through which the world acts upon us (instruments of hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling), and those through which we act upon the world (instruments of manipulation, locomotion, sound production, reproduction, and evacuation). The mind is often considered the eleventh sense. A body, accordingly, may be thought of as an array of senses organized around a center of consciousness. Thus, to say that the Absolute is a person is to say that the Absolute has body or form. The body of God is not material. It is a spiritual or transcendental form—*sac-cid-ananda-vigraha,* an eternal form of bliss and knowledge. Though differentiated by limbs or parts, a spiritual body is nevertheless completely unified and identical with its own possessor. Therefore, in God there is no difference between body and soul, mind and body, soul and mind. Every limb or part of that body can perform all functions of every other limb. Because the Absolute is a person, the souls, the offspring of God, are also persons, and they fully manifest their authentic identity only in relationship with the Supreme Person. When conditioned souls act under the impetus of sense gratification, their bodies evolve materially. But when the souls act in their constitutional position, their love toward God displays itself as the soul’s proper spiritual bodies. Thus, the selves achieve their full personal identity and self-expression as lovers of God. All relationships in this world are dim and perverted reflections of their real prototypes in the kingdom of God. The taste or flavor of a relationship is called *rasa* (literally, “juice”). It is said that there are five primary *rasa*s a soul can have with the Lord. In order of increasing intimacy, they are passive adoration, servitorship, fraternal, parental, and conjugal. God and His devotees engage in eternal pastimes of loving exchanges in spiritual forms that are sheer embodiments of *rasa.* Such bodies are the unmediated concrete expressions of spiritual ecstasies. These unceasing, uninterrupted, ever-increasing variegated ecstasies are nondifferent from the souls and from the spiritual bodies that bear them. The forms and activities of the Lord and His devotees all possess transcendental specificity and variegatedness. The forms of love are not abstractions and their relations are not allegories. In the kingdom of God life is infinitely more full, vivid, and real than anything of the thin shadows that flicker here, on and off. Here, we are not what we are. There, we are truly ourselves again because we are truly God’s. *Ravīndra Svarupa Dāsa, an ISKCON initiating* guru *and emeritus member of the Society's Governing Body Commission, holds a Ph.D. in religion from Temple University in Philadelphia. He lives in Potomac, Maryland.* *This article was originally a paper presented at a Vaishnava-Christian conference in the UK.* ## What Does God Sound Like? *By Satyaraja Dāsa* *"O lotus-eyed one, Your sweet voice and charming words, which attract the minds of the intelligent, are bewildering us more and more."—*Gopis *to Śrī Kṛṣṇa,* Śrīmad-Bhagavatam 10.31.8 It might seem naive to wonder what God sounds like, to speculate about the tone of His voice and the language He employs when communicating with those near and dear. Because He is transcendental, we know He is beyond mundane sounds. Most religious people would simply say that when God communicates, He does so in unmistakable tones, and they leave it at that. Extrapolating freely, we can say that He speaks the language of love, and anyone who communicates with Him purely, sincerely—in any language, any pitch—will be understood and can have a back-and-forth with Him based on their own devotion. And this is certainly true as far as it goes. And yet, historically, God has communicated in specific ways with those who love Him. In the West, Judaeo-Christian scholarship theorizes an ancient divine language, a spiritual proto-dialect that predates human speech. Jews and Christians have traditionally wondered about the language of Adam, who gave names to all living things (Genesis 2:19). It is usually suggested that the early form of language he used deviated slightly from God’s very own system of verbalization. In the early books of the Bible, God uses language during creation, a language medieval Jewish authorities assumed was Hebrew. Since it is clearly indicated that He uses language, some have pondered related questions: Is His voice deep or high? Would it always please the ear? Christian scholars say that Jesus spoke Aramaic as his primary language and probably knew Hebrew and Greek as well. Because of Jesus’s intimate relationship with God, Christian scholars often say that his language must be the same one that God uses. But there is no evidence for this in biblical literature. When we turn to Vedic sources*,* as in*,* for example*,* the *Rg Veda* (1.164.45)*,* we learn of four kinds of sound: *para*,* pashyanti*,* madhyama*,** and *vaikhari.* These correlate with four states of consciousness: *turiya* (transcendental)**,* sushupti* (intellectual)**,* svapna* (mental)*,* and *jagrata* (physical). The first of these is spiritual*,* the next two are subtle*,* usually employed by beings on higher planets*,* and the final variety is grossly material*,* used by beings on lower and middle planets*,* such as earth. God*,* of course*,* can use any of these methods to communicate with beings of this world*,* and we in turn can use any to communicate with Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda says that chanting the *maha-*mantra*—*Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—“is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness—namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the *mantra*, nor is there any need for mental speculation or any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-*mantra*. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy.” Prabhupāda is essentially saying that the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s name is transcendental, or of the *turiya* variety, without any connection to the three lower forms of sound. Since Kṛṣṇa is Absolute, His form and the sound of His name are identical. And so, because the *maha-mantra* is Kṛṣṇa in the form of sound, hearing or uttering that sound with a pure heart gives practitioners an auditory experience of Him. This is true of any selfless prayer chanted with devotion. By perfecting one’s chanting, one can come to see the Lord in all His glory. Unlike other religious traditions, Vaishnavism affords a scientific procedure of just how to do this, and a close study of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, all gleaned from the Vedic literature, will disclose methods of practice that put one in direct touch with the Supreme Lord. The specificity or particularity of Vaishnavism's divine revelation of God through sound is unparalleled in the history of religion. We get to know who God is and, through intimate proximity, what He sounds like. *Kṛṣṇa the Linguist* For example, in Chapter 21 of Rupa Gosvami’s *Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu,* as summarized by Śrīla Prabhupāda in *The Nectar of Devotion,* we find details about Kṛṣṇa as a transcendental polyglot: Rupa Gosvami says that a person who knows the languages of different countries, especially the Sanskrit language, which is spoken in the cities of the demigods—as well as other worldly languages, including those of the animals—is called a wonderful linguist. It appears from this statement that Kṛṣṇa can also speak and understand the languages of the animals. An old woman in Vrindavana, present at the time of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, once stated in surprise, “How wonderful it is that Kṛṣṇa, who owns the hearts of all the young girls of Vrajabhumi, can nicely speak the language of Vrajabhumi with the **gopis*,* while in Sanskrit He speaks with the demigods, and in the language of the animals He can even speak with the cows and buffalo! Similarly, in the language of the Kashmir Province, and with the parrots and other birds, as well as in most common languages, Kṛṣṇa is so expressive!” She inquired from the *gopis* as to how Kṛṣṇa had become so expert in speaking so many different types of languages. In other words, Kṛṣṇa speaks all languages. This fact hearkens back to a more general conception of God—that He hears and understands whatever we say, especially if we communicate with Him in a mood of love and devotion. But here we learn specifically how Kṛṣṇa employs this talent and of some instances when He does so. Śrīla Rupa Gosvami wrote many books besides *Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu,* including dramas. In these, Kṛṣṇa is depicted as speaking with some people in Prakrita (the language of ordinary people) and with others in Sanskrit. Prabhupāda said that when Kṛṣṇa was in Vraja, some five thousand years ago, He spoke Vraja-bhasha, the local language of the cowherds spoken even today. And yet when conversing with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, He spoke in poetic Sanskrit, as both scholars and demigods still do when they find it appropriate. In fact, as Prabhupāda informs us, Kṛṣṇa sometimes speaks this same sophisticated language on His own planet in the spiritual world: “Yes, Sanskrit is spoken not only on Krishnaloka but also in higher planets, of the demigods.” (Letter, February 1, 1968) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu revealed something even more specific about Kṛṣṇa’s voice: My dear friend, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, has a voice as deep as a cloud resounding in the sky. . . . Kṛṣṇa’s deep voice is more resonant than newly arrived clouds, and His sweet song defeats even the sweet voice of the cuckoo. Indeed, His song is so sweet that even one particle of its sound can inundate the entire world. If such a particle enters one's ear, one is immediately bereft of all other types of hearing. (Caitanya-caritāmṛita*, Antya* 17.40–41) In Chapter 21 of *Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu,* Rupa Gosvami also describes Kṛṣṇa’s voice as deep. *Sounds for Loving Exchanges* In the end, the voice of God manifests variously, embodying, we might say, limitless inflections. Sometimes He speaks to us without words—through a trying situation, the morning dew, a sunset, a stranger’s smile, a loving child, a physical ailment. He comes to us in numerous forms, and we need to be ready to hear Him, regardless of our expectations or preconceptions. That being said, the Vedic literature tells us of His ultimate form and reveals that we can perceive Him when we truly love Him with heart and soul. Kṛṣṇa sounds different for different people. But for pure devotees there is a certain uniformity of experience as well. To be sure, they perceive Him according to their unique, subjective relationship with Him, but they all hear the call of His alluring flute, relish His deep, resonant voice, and communicate with Him in languages that enable the deepest of loving exchanges. *Satyaraja Dāsa, a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, is a BTG associate editor and founding editor of the* Journal of Vaishnava Studies. *He has written more than thirty books on Kṛṣṇa consciousness and lives near New York City.* ## Vedic Thoughts In the phenomenal world three things are factually observed by any intelligent man: the living beings, the manifest world, and the ultimate control over them. The intelligent man can see that neither the living entity nor the phenomenal world are creations of chance. The symmetry of creation and its regulative actions and reactions suggests the plan of an intelligent brain behind them, and by genuine inquiry one may find out the ultimate cause with the help of one who knows them factually. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 2.5.2, Purport The forgetful conditioned soul is educated by Kṛṣṇa through the Vedic literatures, the realized spiritual master, and the Supersoul. Through these, he can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is, and he can understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa is his eternal master and deliverer from the clutches of *maya.* In this way one can acquire real knowledge of his conditioned life and can come to understand how to attain liberation. *Śrī* Caitanya Mahāprabhu *Śrī* Caitanya-caritāmṛita*, Madhya*-*līlā* 20.123 A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace. But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa *Bhagavad-gītā* 4.39–40 My dear Lord, to understand those things beyond direct experience—such as spiritual liberation or the attainment of heaven and similar material enjoyments—and in general to understand the means and end of all things, it is imperative that the forefathers, demigods, and human beings consult the Vedic literatures, for these literatures, being Your own laws, constitute the highest evidence and revelation. Śrī Uddhava *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam* 11.20.4 Pure love of God manifests as the most subtle consciousness, devoid of material qualities and material desires, increasing at every moment, and never interrupted. *Narada-bhakti-sutra* 54 All you sons of immortality, hear, you who once resided in the divine kingdom! *Svetashvatara Upanishad* 2.5 By offering prayers in the company of the Maruts and other demigods, I always please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Govinda, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, and who sits beneath a *kalpa-vriksha* tree. Lord Brahma *Gopala-tapani Upanishad* 1.38