# Back to Godhead Magazine #57 *2023 (06)* Back to Godhead Magazine #57-06, 2023 PDF-View Welcome In 1968, during the early years of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in America, Śrīla Prabhupāda sent three couples to London to introduce Kṛṣṇa consciousness there. These disciples struggled at first, but they persevered, and their efforts were crucial to the development of the current ever-growing community of Kṛṣṇa devotees in the UK. In this issue Satyarāja Dāsa tells the story of ISKCON London, including the wonderful way in which Lord Kṛṣṇa came to be worshiped by Śrīla Prabhupāda and his disciples in the movement’s first UK temple. An important contributor to the success of ISKCON in the UK was George Harrison, whose Hare Kṛṣṇa connection is well known. The date of his passing —November 29, 2001—corresponds with this issue of BTG, and in “George Harrison’s Visit to Juhu,” Girirāja Swami fondly remembers one of George’s meetings with Śrīla Prabhupāda. This issue includes appreciations of two devotees from the pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam who exemplified the exalted character of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotees. In “Vidura: A True Mahātmā,” Brajanātha Dāsa and Suvarṇa Rādhā Devī Dāsi show how this associate of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s truly deserved the title mahātmā. In “The Exalted Qualities of Prahlāda Mahārāja,” Puruṣottama Nitāi Dāsa praises a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s avatar Nṛsiṁha whose story is often cited by BTG authors to illustrate devotional qualities we should all aspire for. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor Q&A *Do animals have souls?* Yes. The soul is not the monopoly of humans. How can we know the presence of the soul? By the remarkable difference in the behavior of living organisms and nonliving systems. Nonliving systems have three phases to their existence: creation, deterioration, and destruction. Living organisms exhibit three more phases: growth, reproduction, and maintenance. These additional phases, the Vedic scriptures explain, are due to the presence of the soul. And as these six changes are exhibited not just by humans but also by animals, we can safely infer that they too have souls. This logical inference concurs with the verdict of many Vedic texts, such as the Yajur Veda, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, and the Padma Purāṇa, that describe the soul’s journey through subhuman bodies. In fact, this Vedic conclusion is echoed by the scriptures of the Abrahamic religions. For example, Genesis 1:30 declares that all creatures, whether on land, in the sea, or in the sky, have a “living soul” within their body. God uses the words nephesh for “soul” and chayah for “living,” which are the same two words used at other places in the Bible to describe the soul in human bodies. Then why do some people think that animals don’t have souls? Because they misdiagnose the cause of human specialness. The great spiritual traditions—whether Eastern or Western—agree that among all living beings, humans are special: they alone have the developed intellect for spiritual enquiry. From this universal fact of human specialness, some people make the sectarian extrapolation that humans alone have souls. However, this extrapolation is invalid because animals exhibit the six phases that characterize ensouled matter. The actual cause of the unique human capacity for spiritual enquiry is that the human body covers the souls less than an animal body does. The Bhagavad-gītā (3.38) states: “As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees . . . .” In this enigmatic verse, the smoke-covered fire refers to the soul covered by a human body, the dust-covered mirror refers to the soul covered by an animal body, and the womb-covered embryo refers to the soul covered by a plant body. Just as smoke, dust, and womb are progressively thicker coverings, the human body, the animal body, and the plant body are progressively thicker coverings of the soul. That’s why, though the soul in animals and humans is of the same kind, we humans alone can express the soul’s innate search for spirituality. Therefore, let’s begin expressing it by acknowledging the latent spirituality of our younger brothers and sisters in the animal world. Doesn’t the growth of population disprove reincarnation? As all souls are eternal and so no new souls are ever created, doesn’t the increase in population imply that new human bodies will eventually run out of souls with which to be incarnated? No. This argument is based on two unstated assumptions: 1. Only human beings have souls. 2. All souls exist only in our earthly realm. But these assumptions are unfounded—either by science or by scripture. As modern mechanistic science has no access to the spiritual realm, it can neither prove nor disprove these assumptions. And scriptures—even the scriptures of the Abrahamic religions—indicate that animals have souls and declare that souls do exist in nonearthly realms. The Vedic scriptures not only assert this unambiguously, but also delineate an entire worldview that enables us to make sense of sociological phenomena like population explosion. The Vedic universe is abuzz with continuous soul traffic: some souls degrade to subhuman species and subterranean regions, some stagnate in human species and in the earthly realm, some rise to suprahuman species and celestial regions, some—a rare few—break entirely free to go to the spiritual world, never to return. The fuel for this soul traffic is our actions in life: bad acts degrade the soul, mediocre acts stagnate, good acts elevate, and outstanding acts liberate. People today engaged in mediocre acts (karma) are likely to be returning—reincarnating—on the human level. Souls from the subhuman bodies and existences naturally rise, with due passage of time, to human bodies, possibly causing the claimed population explosion. Even if we take into account that some souls may also be going down to lower species and realms, still that doesn’t stop other souls—in greater numbers—coming to our realm from other realms. This population increase could be a part of a cosmic plan to give us our karmic dues. Today, people delight in bad karma, raping nature and abusing her resources for their own selfish greed. The consequent karmic reactions lead to nature withdrawing her gifts, causing the resource crunch plaguing the world today. Another aspect of these karmic reactions could be the current population explosion: increased population and decreased natural resources, when coupled together, deliver karmic dues in an acute way, which is perhaps a jolting yet necessary reminder for humanity to mend its errant ways. Suffice it to say that once its hidden assumptions are pointed out, the population growth argument loses weight. And the Vedic reincarnation paradigm can account persuasively for population growth. Founder’s Lecture: Essential Questions *Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to know the real problems of life and how to solve them.* *Baltimore—July 7, 1976* Sanātana Gosvāmī asks Caitanya Mahāprabhu the questions that every human being should be asking. > ‘ke āmi’, ‘kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya’ > ihā nāhi jāni—‘kemane hita haya’ “Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? If I do not know this, how can I be benefited?”—*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā* 20.102 *Ke āmi*: “Who am I?” Now, suppose I am sitting here, you are all sitting here, and some fly comes and disturbs us. We have got daily experience of this. He’ll disturb. I want to get him out, and he comes again, stops on my mouth, and creates some disturbance. A fly, a small fly, not a very big man, but after all, this is a disturbance. I don’t like it, but the fly will come and disturb me. But no one is asking, “Why is this fly coming and disturbing me? I do not want it.” This is a sane man’s inquiry. But there is no such inquiry. There are three kinds of miserable conditions, *jāre tāpa-traya*. One is called *adhyātmika*, another is called *adhidaivika*, and another is called *adhibhautika*. *Adhyātmika* means pertaining to the body and mind. All of a sudden my mind is not in order. Suppose a friend has come to talk with me, but I refuse to talk; I am not in the mood. We have got this experience. “I cannot talk with you. My mind is not in order.” This is happening daily, every moment. This is called *adhyātmika*. I did not want it, but it has come. All of a sudden I am feeling some headache. I did not want it, but it came. This is our practical experience. So these kinds of troubles I don’t want. They are always there. You are suffering, either *adhyātmika*, from your your own body and mind; adhibhautika, from other living entities; or *adhidaivika*, from nature. In this material world the suffering is going on. We are thinking we are very safe running in the car, but at any moment there may be an accident. At any moment. I do not want it—my life may go. This is a sane man’s view: “So many things—I do not want them, but they are forced upon me, and I do not know how to get out of them.” *No Right to Kill* The fly is coming, disturbing. I can simply make some spray to kill it, as you do generally. That killing is another risk, but those who do not know, they kill it. You have no right to kill. Suppose a man is disturbing you. If you kill him, you become a murderer and you’ll be taken into the court and you’ll be punished. And if you say, “This man was disturbing me; therefore I have killed him,” that is no excuse. You have killed this man; you must suffer. This is what we ordinarily find in our general living condition. So in the state of the Supreme Lord, you cannot kill even a mosquito or even a fly. You’ll be punished. Because God says, “Everyone is My child.” Suppose I have got so many brothers. One brother is a fool, so he creates some disturbances for me, and I kill him. Will the father be happy? If you say, “Father, your child was disturbing me. I have killed him,” the father will be sorry. “Why have you killed him?” This is natural. Because one child of the father is a fool, the other, intelligent child cannot kill him. Then the father will be angry or sorry. We do not know these things, so we are acting irresponsibly. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has gone to his spiritual master, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he’s asking these questions. These are common and also very grave questions. “In this material world, I do not want so many things, but they are forced upon me. Why?” This is human life, to inquire why. The modern theory is that we are in a struggle for existence. There are troubles, and you try to save yourself, and there is survival of the fittest. But nobody is fit, nobody survives. Nobody wants death. We are talking of survival; who can escape death? There is no possibility. There are so many slogans, but actually there is no remedy. There is a remedy, but we do not know it. That is the defect of modern civilization. There is a remedy. Otherwise, why are we discussing this śāstra, scripture? Why is Sanātana Gosvāmī putting these questions? Just to get the solution from the spiritual master. Otherwise there was no need of putting these questions. “What is my position? Why do these threefold miseries always give me trouble? Why do I die? Why do I become old? Why do I become diseased? Why do I have to take birth?” People are simply struggling for existence. Therefore the woman becomes pregnant, and because child-bearing is troublesome she is killing the child. This is going on. But that means she is implicating herself again in regard to her next life. This is going on. *Conditional Independence* At the present moment, nobody asks this question—Who am I? But this is a very intelligent question. We are completely under the laws of nature. > prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni > guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ > ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā > kartāham iti manyate “The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.” (*Gītā* 3.27) We are not independent. In the state, in your country, although you have observed the Independence Day ceremony, you are not independent. The law says “Keep to the right.” If you go to the left, immediately your independence is finished. You’ll be punished. This so-called independence is conditional. It is not absolute independence. If you want absolute independence then you have to go back home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are hankering after independence, but as long as we remain in this material world there is no question of independence. So the intelligent man thinks, “I want independence from so many things, but I am not independent. I am forced to accept them. Then where is my independence?” When this question arises, then one is a human being. Otherwise, he’s as good as the cats and dogs, who cannot inquire. When an animal is being sent to the slaughterhouse, he cannot say, “Why am I here? What have I done? Why are you sending me to the slaughterhouse?” He cannot protest. Even if he protests, nobody hears him. Nobody hears. He protests by crying, by screaming, but we have made our own theories: “This crying is nothing. The animal has no soul. We can kill it.” *Atmosphere of Gross Ignorance* In this way the whole world is going on under an atmosphere of gross ignorance. There are so many things to be discussed. We do not know what are the problems of life, how life comes into existence . . . We see a child is born, but we do not know wherefrom the life came. The lump of matter of the child is not the child. If the child takes birth dead, without life, it has no value; it is a lump of matter. You throw it away immediately. But if he has life, then we take care of him, we raise him, give him food, give him breast milk, and so much care. Life is so important. But nobody cares to know what this life is, where it begins, wherefrom it comes, what is the destiny. No questions. We are seeing every night so many planets. We are making tiny attempts to go to the moon or some other planet, but we see there are so many millions and trillions of planets. What about their situation? We have made our calculation from here that they are simply decoration; there is no life. No, there is life. There is life, but we do not know it. Yesterday our scientist Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara was saying that in the history of human society these two things are unknown: what is the beginning of life and what are these planetary systems. We are after knowledge, but so many things are unknown to us. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us by his practical behavior to approach the spiritual master, and he is putting his case: “I am suffering in this way.” He was a government minister; there was no question of suffering. He was very well situated. He has already explained, *grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni*. “There are so many questions I cannot answer. There is no solution. Still, people say that I am a very learned man, and I accept it foolishly.” Nobody is a learned man unless he goes to a guru. *Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet*: “To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.” (*Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad* 1.2.12) Therefore the Vedic injunction is that if you want to be learned, then go to a *guru*—a bona fide *guru*, not the so-called *guru*. > tad viddhi praṇipātena > paripraśnena sevayā > upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ > jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (*Gītā* 4.34) Guru means one who has seen the Absolute Truth. That is guru. Tattva-darśinaḥ. Tattva means the Absolute Truth, and darśinaḥ, one who has seen. *The Real Problem and How to Solve It* Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose, to see the Absolute Truth, to understand the Absolute Truth, to know the problems of life and how to make a solution to them. These things are our subject matter. Our subject matter is not material things, that somehow or another you get a car and a good apartment and a good wife and then all your problems are solved. No. That is not the solution to problems. The real problem is how to stop your death. That is the real problem. But because it is a very difficult subject matter, nobody touches it. “Oh, death—we shall peacefully die.” But nobody peacefully dies. If I take a dagger and I say, “Now die peacefully,” the whole peaceful condition is finished immediately. He will cry. So if somebody says, “I will die peacefully,” this is nonsense. Nobody dies peacefully; that is not possible. Therefore death is a problem. Birth is also a problem. Nobody is peaceful while within the womb of the mother. It is a packed-up, airtight condition, and then nowadays there is also the risk of being killed. So there is no question of peacefulness, whether at birth or death. And then old age. I am an old man, and I have got so many troubles. And everyone has got experience of disease. Even a headache is sufficient to give you trouble. The real problem is this: birth, death, old age, and disease. That is the statement given by Kṛṣṇa when listing items of knowledge, *janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam*: “the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease.” (*Gītā* 13.9) If you are intelligent, you should regard these four problems of life as very dangerous. People have no knowledge; therefore they avoid these questions. But we take up these questions very seriously. That is the difference between other movements and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Our movement is how to solve these problems. The *śāstra* says that if you cannot solve these problems for your children, if you cannot protect your children from imminent death and the repetition of birth, then don’t become a father, don’t become a mother. This is the *śāstra*’s injunction. If you are actually a father or mother, you should give your children such educational knowledge that this will be their last birth. Next they’ll not have any such body subjected to birth and death. That is possible. *Bhagavad-gītā* (4.9) says, > janma karma ca me divyam > evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ > tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma > naiti mām eti so ’rjuna “One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then the whole problem is solved. What is the problem solved? Tyaktvā deham. We have to give up this body. Because it is a material body, you have to give it up. But for those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, after giving up this body there will not be another material body: *tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti*. Punar janma means “next birth.” If you accept a material body, then the question of your next birth is there. But if you remain in your spiritual body, there is no question of a next birth. That is spiritual salvation, or liberation. If you remain in your spiritual body, then you go back home, back to Godhead. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s body are identical and completely spiritual. The kingdom of God is also spiritual, and you can go there and live there eternally. Kṛṣṇa says, *yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāmaṁ paramaṁ mama*: “One who reaches My abode never returns to this material world.” (*Gītā* 15.6) That place where going you do not come back to this material world is the supreme abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *Chant “Jaya Śacīnandana!”* This benediction is offered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who has very kindly come here—Nitāi-Gaura. So take advantage of His mercy. You are very fortunate that Nitāi-Gaura are here. If you simply chant “Nitāi-Gaura” and dance, then you’ll become happy. There is no difficulty. And you are chanting “Jaya Śacīnandana!” This simple chanting of “Jaya Śacīnandana!” “Hare Kṛṣṇa!”—this chanting and dancing—is recommended in this age. > kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ > sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam > yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair > yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ “In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.” (*Bhāgavatam* 11.5.32) It is not that I am manufacturing this idea. It is the injunction of the śāstra. In this age, simply by chanting and dancing, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanair prayaiḥ, you get complete spiritual service. I am very glad that you are taking care of Nitāi-Gaura so nicely. They are so nicely dressed. Continue these activities, and even if you cannot do anything, simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance. And chant “Jaya Śacīnandana!” That will make your life perfect. Thank you very much. The Chant Will Enter Your Heart *The following conversation took place in London on August 14, 1971.* Guest: We say Jesus Christ. Śrīla Prabhupāda: But Jesus Christ never said that he is God. He said “son of God.” We have no objection to chanting the holy name of Jesus Christ. We are preaching, “Chant the holy name of God.” If you haven’t got any name of God, then you can chant our conception of the name of God, Kṛṣṇa. But we don’t say only Kṛṣṇa. > nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis > tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ > etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi > durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ Lord Caitanya says that there are many names of God but in every name of God the full potency of God is there. And there is no hard and fast rule for chanting the holy name of God. Anyone, anywhere, at any time, in any circumstance can chant. Lord Caitanya says, “My Lord, You are so merciful that in this age—every age—You are always present in full potency in Your name. And I can associate with You simply by chanting Your holy name. But I am so unfortunate I have no attraction for that.” Now people are being taught to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Where is the loss? If I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, where is the loss? And where is the want of time? They [my disciples] are walking on the street chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. I am sitting here, and now I’m talking with you. But as soon as I finish talking, I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So where is the difficulty? But ask people to chant the holy name of God, and they will not accept. Unfortunate. And it is such a simple thing. They don’t have to go to a church or temple. It doesn’t matter if they are in hell or heaven. In any condition they can chant the holy name of God. But they’re so unfortunate, they won’t accept this theory. Etādrśī tava kṛpā. “God is so merciful, but I am so unfortunate that I cannot chant His holy name.” There is no charge, there is no fee, there is no loss. If there is some gain, why not try for it? And the gain is there. That you can practically see. These boys from Europe, America, and other places, their character was . . . I do not wish to discuss. [Laughter.] But just see them now. Yes. There is so much profit. Guest: We see that. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So what more do you want? Therefore let us cooperate. Don’t think that it is against Christianity or that it is sectarian. Let us cooperate fully. Jointly let us preach all over the world, “Chant the holy name of God.” Let us join together. That should be the real purpose of devotees of God. My students are preaching love of God. Why should others be envious of them? We don’t say that you must chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. If you have a name of God, chant it. We are preaching the chanting of the holy name of God. So what objection can there be from other sects? But they are envious. Because the younger generation is taking to chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, they are envious. Guest: Do you find that the chant goes on in your heart? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Why not? Guest: It goes deeper and deeper? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything we hear goes to the heart. If someone calls me a bad name, does it not go to my heart? “You rascal. You stupid.” When I hear that, does it not go to my heart? Why do I become angry unless it goes to my heart? If “rascal,” “stupid,” and all these bad names go to my heart, why won’t God’s name go to my heart? Guest: I’m sometimes saying a little prayer. Śrīla Prabhupāda: So if you repeatedly chant it, it will remain. It will always remain in your heart. Guest: Always going on. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. There is no chance of escape. Chant constantly, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It will remain in your heart. Vidura: A True Mahātmā *A look at some of the exalted traits of one of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s dear devotees in ancient Hastinapura.* By Suvarṇa Rādha Devī Dāsī and Brajanātha Dāsa Vidura is one of the prominent personalities in the *Mahābhārata*. He is commonly known as Mahātmā Vidura, *mahātmā* meaning “great soul,” especially someone fully devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa. In this article we discuss some of Vidura’s exalted traits. The *Mahābhārata* informs us that Vidura was in fact Yamarāja, who determines the fate of all living beings after their death. For punishing Muṇḍaka Muni, Yamarāja was cursed by the muni to be born as a *śūdra*, the lowest of the four divisions of human society. Muṇḍaka Muni was once wrongly arrested along with thieves who had concealed themselves in his hermitage. The king’s court sentenced the muni to death by being pierced with a lance, but the king stopped the enactment of the death penalty and sought the muni’s forgiveness for his men’s blunder. Muṇḍaka Muni went to Yamarāja to ask why such a punishment was being meted out. Yamarāja explained to Muṇḍaka Muni that in his childhood he had pierced an ant with a sharp straw and for that reason he was put into difficulty. Muṇḍaka Muni replied to Yamarāja that according to the scriptures, children’s innocent acts are not wicked even though they may seem so. For Yamarāja’s misjudgment, Muṇḍaka Muni cursed him to be born as a *śūdra*. Yamarāja then took birth as the son of a maidservant and Vedavyāsa, the literary incarnation of the Lord, and was known as Vidura. Though he was born as a śūdra, he retained his wisdom. Vidura had many qualities that make him stand out as a *mahātmā*. The following are some of them. *A Bold and Wise Advisor* Vidura was renowned for his brilliance and his ability to speak the truth. He had the extraordinary characteristics of a fearless and wise advisor. Despite knowing that Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana would not accept his good counsel, Vidura still instructed Dhṛtarāṣṭra to return the kingdom to the Pāṇḍavas, the legitimate heirs to the thone. An advisor almost always faces opposition to his counseling, but must still advise boldly. Vidura cautioned Dhṛtarāṣṭra that even though he had ninety-nine sons besides Duryodhana, that one son’s bad character would result in Dḥṛtarāṣṭra’s ending up with not one hundred sons, but zero. Vidura insisted that for the sake of the kingdom, Dhṛtarāṣṭra must discard his offense-personified son Duryodhana just as his ancestor Bharata had done. King Bharata rejected his nine worthless sons for the sake of the kingdom, adopted a qualified successor, and coronated him. Vidura reminded Dhṛtarāṣṭra that he had responsibilities as a king and a father, his responsibilities as a king being greater than those of a father. For the sake of the kingdom, Dhṛtarāṣṭra should stop Duryodhana’s atrocities against the Pāṇḍavas. *An Optimist* Vidura was an optimist and a compassionate person. He could understand a person’s mind and heart. He knew that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was a descendant of the great Kuru dynasty, was the son of Vedavyāsa, and had been blessed to see a partial manifestation of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s universal form. He understood that if Dhṛtarāṣṭra could simply free himself from his attachment to Duryodhana, he would be a great person and glorified throughout history and in the scriptures. Unfortunately, his attachment to Duryodhana overrode Vidura’s compassion for him. Dhṛtarāṣṭra was unable to listen to Vidura’s repeated instructions for his well-being, but he finally followed Vidura’s instructions after losing all his sons in the Kurukshetra battle. Vidura enlightened Dhṛtarāṣṭra and then took him and his wife, Gāṇḍhārī, into a forest to perform austerities, and the couple’s lives came to an auspicious end. *Possessed of Equal Vision* The princesses Ambikā and Ambālikā and a *śūdrāṇī* (maidservant) gave birth respectively to Vyāsadeva’s sons Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura. The Kauravas were the sons of Vidura’s eldest half-brother, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and the Pāṇḍavas were the sons of Vidura’s elder half-brother Pāṇḍu. As such, Vidura treated the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas equally and showed compassion to them both. Vidura was kind to the Kauravas and urged Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana to rectify their heinous transgressions against the Pāṇḍavas. Vidura’s conversations with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, which occur repeatedly in the Mahābhārata, have been compiled and are called *Vidura Nīti* (“Vidura’s Ethics”). *A Devoted Friend* Vidura was a devoted friend who always wanted the best for Dhṛtarāṣṭra even though the latter consistently disregarded his counsel. He alerted Dhṛtarāṣṭra that he was being manipulated and exploited by his sentiments toward his son and always advised him to do the right things and make the right decisions. Kṛṣṇa was on the side of Pāṇḍavas, he told him, and whatever he would do against them, he would be directly doing against Kṛṣṇa Himself. Vidura represents Yamarāja’s principle of discipline, and disregarding his suggestions can result in destruction. Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana ignored Vidura’s warning not to engage in the gambling match with the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas lost the match, but the Kurus were later destroyed in the Kurukshetra battle. *Advisor to the Pāṇḍavas* Vidura was affectionate to both the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas, but he was more inclined toward the Pāṇḍavas because they were being ill-treated by the Kauravas, they were faithful to religious principles, and, most importantly, they were devotees of the Lord. Other than Kṛṣṇa, Vidura was the most trusted advisor to the Pāṇḍavas and cautioned them repeatedly about Duryodhana’s plots to destroy them. *Sided with Neither Party in the War* The Kurukshetra battle between the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas happened in the holy place called Kurukshetra. Unlike Vibhīṣaṇa in the Rāmāyaṇa, Vidura didn’t go against Dhṛtarāṣṭra and side with the Pāṇḍavas in the battle; he went on a pilgrimage. Vibhīṣaṇa, Rāvaṇa’s brother, had sided with Lord Rāmacandra in the battle against Rāvaṇa because Rāvaṇa didn’t heed Vibhīṣaṇa’s request to stop the battle, but rather expelled Vibhīṣaṇa from his kingdom. *Renounced* Being a pure devotee of the Lord, Vidura was totally renounced and transcendental to material disappointments, such as insults, ridicule, and lack of position. In protest against the Kurukshetra battle, he resigned from the post of minister. When Vidura advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to get rid of Duryodhana, who was the root cause of the imminent battle, Duryodhana criticized Vidura harshly. In this incident, the Lord’s energy worked simultaneously on both Duryodhana (through māyā, the Lord’s external energy, or illusion) and Vidura (through the Lord’s internal energy). Duryodhana acted under the influence of the external energy and thus facilitated Vidura’s pilgrimage and his path toward renunciation. *A True Devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa* Why did Vidura go on pilgrimage instead of seeking Kṛṣṇa’s shelter? Vidura was conscious that he had incurred sins due to diplomatic association with Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana and considered himself unfit to associate at once with the Lord. Kṛṣṇa arranged for Vidura to become fully dependent on Him. Vidura thought of the Lord constantly as he performed his duties to please Him while wandering in holy lands dedicated to the Lord. For thirty to thirty-five years, Vidura traveled to numerous sanctified holy places. He bathed in sacred rivers and lakes, visited temples, and finally arrived at Prabhāsa, a holy place on the western shore of India. There he learned that Lord Kṛṣṇa and His dynasty had departed from this world. Feeling morose, he continued his pilgrimage and met Uddhava on the bank of the Yamunā River. Their meeting is described at the beginning of the Third Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*. *Kṛṣṇa’s Reciprocation* While performing the duty of a messenger for the Pāṇḍavas, Kṛṣṇa reciprocated Vidura’s devotion by visiting him at his home. According to the Udyoga-parva of the Mahābhārata, when the Lord visited Vidura the conversation focused on the Lord’s role as Yudhiṣṭhira’s messenger and His desire to create harmony between the conflicting the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas. They did not discuss philosophy but acted in harmony with the events of the time, concerned about the horrible battle that was brewing. By Kṛṣṇa’s grace, however, Vidura later met the Lord’s confidential messenger Uddhava and was able to hear devotional topics from him. *Submissive and Inquisitive* Kṛṣṇa instructs us in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (4.34) that one must submissively approach a bona fide spiritual master when one is inclined to inquire about spiritual topics. Vidura was exemplary in his submissiveness, setting an example of how to inquire from great souls, as he did by learning from Uddhava and Maitreya Muni. *Humble* Vidura displayed humility by accepting spiritual knowledge from Uddhava, who was younger than him. On meeting Uddhava, Vidura embraced him and asked him about news of the Lord and His associates. Vidura knew that they were no longer in this world; his inquiry therefore seems strange. But Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī comments that the news shocked Vidura, and thus his inquiry was psychological and not practical. Vidura concluded his questions to Uddhava with a request: “O my friend, please, therefore, chant the glories of the Lord, who is meant to be glorified in the places of pilgrimage. He is unborn, and yet He appears by His causeless mercy upon the surrendered rulers of all parts of the universe. Only for their interest did He appear in the family of His unalloyed devotees the Yadus.” (*Bhāgavatam* 3.1.45) *The Quality of His inquiries* At the beginning of the Third Canto, King Parīkṣit says to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, “Saint Vidura was a great and pure devotee of the Lord, and therefore his questions to His Grace Ṛṣi Maitreya must have been very purposeful, on the highest level, and approved by learned circles.” (*Bhāgavatam* 3.1.4) When Lord Kṛṣṇa was about to leave this world, He gave instructions to Maitreya so that he could transmit them to Vidura. The greatest devotees of the Lord, such as Vidura, always seek the association of other saints and are eager to hear submissively from them. Considering the elevated spiritual status of the inquirer in these meetings, their questions sometimes seem quite basic. There are many possible reasons for this, such as: * To clarify an important point for others’ benefit. * To hear what another devotee has to say about a particular point. * To become purified. Advanced devotees feel very fallen and often ask questions from a position of deep humility, thinking they haven’t really understood. *Vidrura’s Relationship with Yudhiṣṭhira* As we learn from the Mahābhārata, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was the son of Yamarāja. Since Vidura was Yamarāja, a natural similarity exists between Vidura and Yudhiṣṭhira. Both were virtuous, noble, learned in the scriptures, and faithful to religious principles. So naturally there was an attraction between them. As an example of their closeness, Vidura sometimes spoke enigmatic words that eluded the rest of the royal family, as they were meant only for Yudhiṣṭhira ears. Vidura and Yudhiṣṭhira were also united in their attempts to always do good for both the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas. *Vidura’s Return to His Abode* Yamarāja’s misjudging Muṇḍaka Muni and being cursed to become a śūdra seems very unfortunate. But the result was that as Vidura he was blessed with the opportunity to assist Lord Kṛṣṇa in His pastimes on earth. This assistance included advising and protecting the Pāṇḍavas, the Lord’s eternal associates, such as by alerting them to the Kaurava’s plots to kill them. Some versions of the Mahābhārata say that Vidura, before returning to his post as Yamarāja, by a mystical process transferred his prowess to Yudhiṣṭhira so that he could rule with virtue and glory. For 150 years, Yamarāja played the role of Vidura during the Lord’s pastimes on earth. Upon Vidura’s passing, Yamarāja’s curse ended. He returned to his abode and resumed his position. *Follower of the Mahājanas* Vidura strictly followed the actions and standards set by the twelve mahājanas, the great authorities on religious principles. He was even raised by one of them—Bhīṣmadeva. He was worshiped by King Yudhiṣṭhira and adored by the Pāṇḍavas; only those who were hostile to Lord Kṛṣṇa found him repugnant. He was remembered by Lord Kṛṣṇa at the time of Kṛṣṇa’s departure from the material world. Vidura’s life is full of lessons for us. Among them is the lesson that although life may bring problems, they cannot control us if we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa by recognizing Him as the cause of all causes and always remembering Him. *Suvarṇa Rādhā Devī Dāsī, PhD, and Brajanāth Dāsa, PhD, both disciples of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, live in Longmont, Colorado, with their two daughters. They are active in book distribution and serving Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda at ISKCON Denver.* From Knowledge to Devotion *Lord Kṛṣṇa summarized His teachings to Arjuna in four verses. Here’s an analysis of the first two.* By Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa A close look at the first two of the four verses that summarize Lord Kṛṣṇa’s teachings in the Bhagavad-gītā. The *Bhagavad-gītā’s* essence is manifest in four nutshell verses, commonly known as the *Catuḥ-ślokī* *Gītā* (10.8–11). The first two of these verses convey how Kṛṣṇa’s supreme position transforms the hearts of seekers, inspiring them to become devoted to Him and to delight in His glories. And the last two verses depict how Kṛṣṇa’s merciful disposition illumines their hearts, guiding them toward the supreme enlightenment. In this article, I focus on the first two verses—and see how they reveal the ever-relishable nature of Kṛṣṇa’s glories. I’ll cover the other two verses in the next issue. *Defining and Identifying the Ultimate Reality* The first verse (10.8) of the *Catuḥ-ślokī* *Gītā* defines and identifies God. In its first quarter, it states that God is the source of everything. Does this support a deistic conception: God as the creator, but not as the controller? No, the next quarter of the verse indicates that He sustains everything, thus reiterating an earlier *Gītā* assertion (9.10): material nature works under God’s supervision. While giving this universal characterization of God, the *Gītā* unambiguously identifies Him as Kṛṣṇa. That the source of everything is Kṛṣṇa has much significance. First, it reveals that the *Gītā* doesn’t support a polytheistic vision of divinity. Though it does talk about the existence of many gods (7.20), it places them in an inclusive hierarchy with Kṛṣṇa at the top: He is the overall supervisor of material nature, various aspects of which are supervised by gods empowered by Him. Second, this definition harkens back to the *Vedānta-sūtra*, which defines the Absolute Truth as the source of everything. Interestingly, that *Vedānta-sūtra* begins with a call for spiritual enquiry, *brahma-jijñāsā*. And then it explains that brahma is the source of everything. By correlating the *Vedānta-sūtra*’s first two verses with this Gītā verse, we can infer that brahma is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Of course, *brahma* is a complex and multivalent word that sometimes refers to the individual soul, as in the well-known *Upanishadic declaration ahaṁ brahmāsmi* (I am *brahma*), wherein *brahma* is not used in the same sense as in the *Vedānta-sūtra*—self-evidently, we are not the source of everything. Differentiating between this sense of *brahma* and Kṛṣṇa, thereby rejecting monism, the *Gītā* (10.12) characterizes Kṛṣṇa as the paraṁ *brahma* (supreme *brahma*). The first half of the *Catuḥ-ślokī’s* first verse thus defines God as the source and sustainer of everything and identifies Him as Kṛṣṇa. *The Impact of Knowing about God* The second half of the first verse states the result of knowing about Kṛṣṇa: one becomes enlightened and wholeheartedly devoted to Him. This indicates that knowledge of God is not meant to be merely theoretical or informational; it is meant to be profoundly transformational. To appreciate why, consider the metaphor of an orphan boy who gets some amazing information: he is the lost child of a billionaire. That knowledge would spur him to learn how to reconnect with his father and make all efforts to be reunited with him. If he didn’t make any such efforts at all, it could well be argued that he hadn’t understood the information. The same applies to our knowledge of God. To know God means to know that we are all His beloved children. Just as He is eternal and eternally blissful, so too are we meant to be. But when we see Him merely as a source for fulfilling our worldly desires or freeing us from worldly problems, then we don’t really know Him. That those who know God devote themselves to Him is the conclusion of the previous *Gītā* section (10.1–7): they are left with no option except to become devoted to Him. That doesn’t mean they are forced against their will; it just means that the intellectual persuasiveness of knowledge of God’s position makes any other course of action unintellectual or even anti-intellectual. Thus, this *Gītā* section inverts the charge sometimes leveled against *bhakti* that it is for the nonintellectual or sentimental. Such devotion may be practiced by those who know just a little about God, but those who truly know Him are in a different category. Indeed, knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is profoundly transformational, inspiring us to devote ourselves to Him. *How Bhakti Synergizes the Head and the Heart* The *Catuḥ-ślokī’s* first verse characterizes those devoted to Kṛṣṇa as *budhāḥ* (enlightened, or enriched with reason and wisdom) and *bhāva-samanvitāḥ* (enriched with emotion). These two descriptors point to a healthy balance of the head and the heart. Such a balance is elusive because the head is driven by reason, whereas the heart is driven by emotion. Those who are rational often overlook how things feel to others and even to themselves, whereas those who are emotional often relegate reason to an inconsequential backseat. Left to themselves, reason and emotion consider different things to be of the foremost value. Uniting them, *Gītā* wisdom reveals the object of foremost value to be the supreme reality, Kṛṣṇa. He is the perfect object for reason: contemplating Him can provide the greatest intellectual fulfillment. And He is the perfect object for emotion: loving Him can provide the greatest emotional fulfillment. In Him the head and the heart can find a healthy synergy. This synergy is further facilitated by Kṛṣṇa’s being all-pure: connecting with Him purifies us of the inner forces that misdirect our rational and emotional faculties. Freed from such misdirection, both the head and the heart can clearly discern their ultimate interest to be Kṛṣṇa. Is the balance of the head and the heart a pre-decided ideal that we all have to conform to? No, it varies from person to person. *Gītā* wisdom acknowledges our individuality, for we are all parts of the supreme individual, Kṛṣṇa (15.7). This implies that the balance of reason and emotion that works for us will also be individual; it is what enables us to excavate and express our innate nature, thereby becoming the best we can be. Thus, devotion synergizes the head and the heart by providing them a common object of foremost value: Kṛṣṇa, who removes our impurities and unleashes our individuality. *Devotion Changes Our Inner Home* After declaring that Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate reality, loved by the enlightened (10.8), the *Catuḥ-ślokī* describes in the next verse (10.9) the characteristics of these enlightened devotees, the first being that they think of Kṛṣṇa. Actually, the Sanskrit (*mac-cittaḥ*) is far more emphatic, which Śrīla Prabhupāda aptly renders as, “The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me.” This rendition stresses that devotion changes our inner home. Just as we have a physical home for our body, we all have an inner home for our thoughts. To know what that home is, we can observe ourselves: What do we think of when we have nothing to think of? What do our thoughts gravitate toward when we are doing something mechanical that doesn’t require much attention? What do we look forward to thinking about? When we answer these questions honestly, we may discover that our inner home is money, sensual pleasure, family, sports, politics, and so forth. All such objects are temporary and can offer us at best temporary shelter. Though we may need to think of them, we can’t let them become our inner homes, or we end up subjecting ourselves to inordinate uncertainty, insecurity, and misery. *Gītā* wisdom asserts that Kṛṣṇa is the best home for our thoughts. Why? For at least three reasons: security, purity, and joy. *Security:* Kṛṣṇa is the unchanging ultimate reality. Dwelling on Him links us with an inalienable basis for inner security. *Purity:* Kṛṣṇa is all-pure and all-purifying; dwelling on Him helps us purge the impurities that misdirect our thoughts. *Joy:* Kṛṣṇa is the all-attractive reservoir of pleasure. Dwelling on Him gives us access to an inexhaustible source of sublime bliss. Thus, devotees don’t just think about Kṛṣṇa; they make Him the home for their thoughts, finding therein security, purity, and joy. *How Devotion Encompasses Our Entire Being* The second verse of the *Catuḥ-ślokī Gītā* (10.9) describes the characteristics of the devoted in terms of their thoughts, actions, and words. These correspond to three essential aspects that encompass our entire being. Let’s see how. *Contemplation*: We are always thinking about something; our mind keeps working even when our body is tired or asleep. Many of our thoughts are random and unproductive or even counterproductive. When we consciously direct our thoughts toward something worthwhile, we all can do so much more than what we are presently doing. And when we focus our thoughts on the supreme reality, Kṛṣṇa, we gain the supreme steadiness and satisfaction. *Contribution*: We are by nature active creatures; we do many things, but how often are our actions productive or meaningful? When we do something to contribute to some cause bigger than ourselves, we find that our actions become much more meaningful. And *Gītā* wisdom explains how Kṛṣṇa is the supreme well-wisher of everyone; when we work in a mood of service to Him, becoming His instruments, we can make the most enduring and fulfilling contribution. *Connection*: We all seek relationships that enable us to connect with others. Though we are social creatures, we are not always able to find like-minded people with whom to connect. It becomes easier to connect with others if we share something in common with them, such as an interest, a passion, or a love. Among the many shared loves over which we might connect, Kṛṣṇa is the best. He is unlimited and has unlimited glories. Moreover, we all are His parts, and He is the whole. So, connecting with others with Him at the center enables us to enter into relationships that are in harmony with who we really are. Such connections are eternal and eternally fulfilling. While we can connect with others in many ways, one of the best is through devotional words. They can help us share our appreciation of Kṛṣṇa with others and help us understand how others appreciate Him. Devotion engages our mind, body, and words, providing us with fulfilling contemplation, contribution, and connection. *Why Speech Matters So Much in Devotion* The *Catuḥ-ślokī’s* second verse characterizes the devoted in terms of their thinking, living, and speaking. Significantly, while it mentions their thinking and living in just one quarter of the verse, it describes their speaking over the remaining three quarters. Why this emphasis on speech? This question gathers further force if we consider sayings such as “Talk is cheap” or “Walk your talk,” which disparage words not backed by actions. The *Gītā* has already characterized devotees as being internally absorbed (mac-citta) and externally dedicated to Kṛṣṇa (*mad-gataḥ prāṇā*), conveying thereby that their talking about Kṛṣṇa isn’t just for show; it’s a natural expression of their devotion, revealing how they think and live. By emphasizing speaking as a characteristic of devotion, the *Gītā* highlights the social dimension of *bhakti* spirituality. *Bhakti* is essentially about relationships—and not just about a relationship with Kṛṣṇa, but also about relationships with Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. Few things can bond people together as much as discussing a shared object of love. And no object of shared love can be discussed as extensively as Kṛṣṇa—He is God and His glories are unlimited; therefore, discussions about Him can be illuminating, enriching, and unending. Kṛṣṇa reveals varying aspects of His unlimited glories to various devotees, reciprocating with their individual natures and levels of devotion (4.11). Thus, different devotees appreciate and relish Him from different perspectives. When they discuss Kṛṣṇa with each other, they can learn to appreciate Him from multiple perspectives, thus expanding their devotion and increasing their delight therein. In the *Catuḥ-ślokī’s* first verse, Kṛṣṇa declares that those who know Him as the source of everything are enlightened (*budha*). When describing how such souls delight in discussing Kṛṣṇa, the *Catuḥ-ślokī’s* next verse uses the word bodhayantaḥ (related to the word *budha*) to refer to how they enlighten each other. The context conveys that this enlightenment is not vertical, like that imparted by a seer to a seeker; it is horizontal, being exchanged and relished among enlightened peers. How is it that the enlightened can enlighten each other? Because Kṛṣṇa’s glories are unending and are unendingly relishable. Different enlightened souls realize and relish His glories according to the flavor of their individual relationship with Him and share that with other enlightened souls, thus expanding each other’s appreciation of His glories. And because Kṛṣṇa is infinite and has infinite glories, enlightened devotees delight in His remembrance eternally. By following in their footsteps, we too can gradually enter that world of everlastingly ecstatic enlightenment. *The Strongest Manifestation of Devotion* Suppose someone claims he is a strong patriot. On observing him, if I find that he hardly does anything practical for his country, I’ll naturally ask, “Are you really devoted to your country?” Suppose he claims, “Yes, I’m always thinking about my country.” I’ll then ask, “Then why does the object of your constant thought so rarely become the object of your practical action?” Similar questions can be asked of those who claim to be internally devoted to Kṛṣṇa but hardly do anything in His service. Substantiating the above reasoning, the *Catuḥ-ślokī’s* second verse declares that the lives of the devoted are centered on Kṛṣṇa; He is their purpose, and they give their lives to His service. Significantly, this verse describes that kind of dedication as the second characteristic of the devoted; the first characteristic is the absorption of their thought in Him. Phrased as a progression, the second characteristic is the natural external expression of the first characteristic. The *Gītā’s* conclusion highlights this internal-external synergy in devotion. It unambiguously recommends *bhakti-yoga* (18.64–66), centered on remembering Kṛṣṇa (18.65) and surrendering to Him (18.66). And Arjuna responds by declaring his resolve to do Kṛṣṇa’s will (18.73)—not by reporting his flights of devotional ecstasy. Arjuna’s response reflects the *Gītā’s* overall emphasis of the essence of devotion: when we have inner devotion for Kṛṣṇa, that provides us the vision and motivation to dedicate ourselves externally to Kṛṣṇa’s cause. While assessing our spiritual growth, we needn’t worry too much about whether we are becoming devotionally ecstatic; instead, we can focus far more on whether we are increasingly centering our life on tangible service to Kṛṣṇa. By that focus, we can steadily progress toward Him. *The First Two Verses of the Catuḥ-ślokī Gītā* TEXT 10.8 > ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo > mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate > iti matvā bhajante māṁ > budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ *aham*—I; *sarvasya*—of all; *prabhavaḥ*—the source of generation; *mattaḥ*—from Me; *sarvam*—everything; *pravartate*—emanates; *iti*—thus; *matvā*—knowing; *bhajante*—become devoted; *mām*—unto Me; *budhāḥ*—the learned; *bhāva-samanvitāḥ*—with great attention. I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts. [Bg 10.8] TEXT 10.9 > mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā > bodhayantaḥ parasparam > kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ > tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca *mat-cittāḥ*—their minds fully engaged in Me; *mat-gata-prāṇāḥ*—their lives devoted to Me; *bodhayantaḥ*—preaching; *parasparam*—among themselves; *kathayantaḥ*—talking; *ca*—also; *mām*—about Me; *nityam*—perpetually; *tuṣyanti*—become pleased; *ca*—also; *ramanti*—enjoy transcendental bliss; *ca*—also. The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me. *Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa serves full time at ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai. He is a BTG associate editor and the author of more than twenty-five books. He has two websites: gitadaily.com and thespiritualscientist.com (the source for BTG’s “Q&A”).* Tackling Distresses the Vrindavan Way *How did the residents of Vrindavan deal with the constant attacks on their beloved Kṛṣṇa and their idyllic village?* By Gaurāṅga Dārśana Dāsa Lord Kṛṣṇa’s associates in Vrindavan teach us by example a wonderful de-stress mechanism to deal with distresses big and small. Disturbances make their presence felt everywhere in this world. Even the holy land of Vraja, ornamented by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes during His time on earth, was no exception. Fatal ambushes launched by bloodthirsty tyrants desiring to take little Kṛṣṇa’s life away were everyday events in Vraja. The demons constantly tried to shatter to pieces the peace of Vraja and its residents. How did the Vrajavāsīs deal with all these demoniac intrusions and other turbulences? * *Ceaseless Calamities* After His appearance in Kaṁsa’s prison in Mathura, Lord Kṛṣṇa resided in Gokula Mahavan until He turned three years and four months old. While there, when He was barely three days old, a great *Rākṣasī* (cannibal) named Pūtanā tried to kill Him by feeding Him her poisoned breastmilk. Another demon, named Śakaṭāsura, hid in a handcart to crush Kṛṣṇa when He was only three months old. When He was one year old, a demon named Tṛṇāvarta appeared in the form of a whirlwind. Blinding the Vrajavāsīs by creating a dust-spitting tornado and dense darkness, Tṛṇāvarta took hold of Kṛṣṇa and soared through the skies up to 800,000 miles above the earth. These demons and many others died trying to harm Kṛṣṇa, who is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead, regardless of whatever age He may be displaying for His pastimes. Once, for His unparalleled mischief, His mother, Yaśodā, tied Him with the rope of her love to a wooden grinding mortar. Kṛṣṇa dragged the mortar between two huge arjuna trees, which fell to the ground with a thunderous thud that worried the hearts of the cowherd community, for whom Kṛṣṇa was their very life. *Attempts to Evade Danger* The leaders of the *gopas* (cowherd men) had an extensive meeting to discuss Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s safety. Concluding that Gokula Mahavan was infested with numerous demons and evil forces, and considering the protection of the cowherd community to be of paramount importance, they decided to move to Vrindavan. As soon as they settled there, Kṛṣṇa and the other boys His age were given charge of the calves, herding them in forests near the village. The elders were confident of the safety of Vrindavan, but their confidence didn’t stop the demons from launching further attacks. As soon as Kṛṣṇa took charge of the calves, a demon named Vatsāsura appeared in the form of an innocent calf to kill Him. Kṛṣṇa noticed this deception and caught the so-called calf by the hind legs, twirled him around, and threw him into a tree, killing him. The young *gopas* then enjoyed the fruits that fell off the tree due to the demon’s weight. Soon thereafter, another demon, named Bakāsura, appeared in the form of a crane and swallowed Kṛṣṇa. Balarāma and the other boys fainted, and several *devatās*, including Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Vāyu, and Agni, appeared on the scene to kill Bakāsura, but were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Kṛṣṇa within Bakāsura’s gullet became like a fireball, forcing Bakāsura to spit Him out. Kṛṣṇa then split the demon Bakāsura’s beak and nonchalantly killed him. The demons thus took innocent forms like those of calves, cranes, motherly women, and cowherd boys to attack Kṛṣṇa. But although they appeared pure, their attitude was impure and malicious. *Peace Amidst Chaos* In the evenings, Kṛṣṇa and His friends would return home after spending the day in Vrindavan’s forests. With sheer excitement mixed with natural innocence and appreciation for Kṛṣṇa, the small *gopas* would narrate to their elders His heroic deeds. The elder *gopas*, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, would listen attentively to the boys and be wonderstruck on hearing about Kṛṣṇa’s adventures of dispatching deadly demons. The move from Gokula Mahavan to Vrindavan didn’t address the problem of the impending perils. But absorption in the loving narrations of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes overwhelmed the Vrajavāsīs with an unparalleled bliss that melted their distresses. Can a danger still be called a danger when the endangered person remains unaffected by it? In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (10.11.58) Śukadeva Gosvāmī comments: > iti nandādayo gopāḥ > kṛṣṇa-rāma-kathāṁ mudā > kurvanto ramamāṇāś ca > nāvindan bhava-vedanām “In this way, all the cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, enjoyed topics about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma with great transcendental pleasure, and they could not even perceive material tribulations.” The young *gopas* who witnessed Kṛṣṇa’s killing the demons narrated these pastimes to the elder *gopas*, who heard and relished them. Simply by discussing Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes regularly and joyously, the cowherd community did not experience material tribulations. Rather, due to their absorption in Kṛṣṇa-centered discussions, the Vrajavāsīs felt great peace and spiritual bliss amidst great chaos. Similarly, when in the company of other devotees we absorb our minds in Kṛṣṇa’s qualities and pastimes, we will be protected from tribulations in this material world. The words of Śrī Nārada Muni are evidence for this: > etad dhy ātura-cittānāṁ > mātrā-sparśecchayā muhuḥ > bhava-sindhu-plavo dṛṣṭo > hari-caryānuvarṇanam “It is personally experienced by me that those who are always full of cares and anxieties due to desiring contact of the senses with their objects can cross the ocean of nescience on a most suitable boat—the constant chanting of the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead.” (*Bhāgavatam* 1.6.34) *Inevitable But Not Unavoidable* In the purport to *Bhāgavatam* 10.11.58, quoted above, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, Here is an instruction about the result of studying or discussing the *kṛṣṇa-līlās* that appear in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*. . . . Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā in Vṛndāvana appeared like ordinary persons of this material world, but they never felt the tribulations of this world, although they sometimes met many dangerous situations created by the demons. This is a practical example. If we follow in the footsteps of Nanda Mahārāja and the gopas, we can all be happy simply by discussing the activities of Kṛṣṇa. Just as the ripples on a flowing river never come to an end, difficulties in this material world never cease. Frigid cold in winter, piercing sunshine in summer, trouble from other living beings—all of these are outside the control of any mere mortal. We may employ countermeasures to safeguard ourselves from the miseries of the material world, but we can never eradicate them from our lives. Still, there’s no reason for lamentation, because we have the solution. We can equip our intelligence with scriptural wisdom, nourish our hearts with the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, focus our minds on Kṛṣṇa’s holy names, engage our senses in Kṛṣṇa’s services, and thus remain unaffected by the temptations and tribulations of the material world. A life with its nucleus made up of the principles depicted by the pastimes related in the *Bhāgavatam* is a life free of troubles and temptations. Therefore Śrila Prabhupāda comments further in his purport to *Bhāgavatam* 10.11.58: Vyāsadeva has given this literature so that everyone may understand one’s transcendental position simply by discussing *bhāgavata-kathā*. Even at the present moment, everyone everywhere can be happy and free from material tribulations by following *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*. There is no need for austerities and penances, which in this age are very difficult to perform. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore declared, *sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.* Through our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are trying to distribute *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* so that anyone in any part of the world can be absorbed in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by chanting and hearing about the activities of Kṛṣṇa and be free from all material tribulations. We cannot avoid the calamities that life offers, but we can choose to remain unaffected by them by armoring ourselves with the Vrindavan way of tackling distresses. How, like the Vrajavāsī, can we stay unaffected by calamities simply by hearing and speaking Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes? Here are a few tips to help us move in that direction. *A Spiritual Skyride* *Perspective*: A person on the ground sees a twenty-story building as gigantic, but someone in an aircraft sees it as tiny. Similarly, when we are absorbed in material consciousness, material problems seem colossal. But when we begin traveling in an airship made of spiritual intelligence and Kṛṣṇa consciousness, fueled by scriptures like the *Gītā* and the *Bhāgavatam*, material calamities begin to appear insignificant and minuscule. *Identity*: When we overly identify ourselves with external designations like men, women, Indians, Americans, teachers, students, doctors, managers, clerks, and so on, we become overwhelmed with the happiness and distress pertaining to those impermanent identities. A doctor today may become a patient tomorrow, and a kṣatriya may be born as a *brāhmaṇa* in the next life. But we have a permanent identity beyond these fleeting identities. We are all *aṁśas* (parts), servants, and lovers of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When we identify ourselves as servants of the Lord and absorb ourselves in His service—and in His names, forms, qualities, and pastimes—then the problems caused by our assumed identities are nullified. *Consciousness*: Scriptures like the *Bhagavad-gītā* and *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* remind us of our original identities as lovers of God. Being aṁśas of Kṛṣṇa, we are spiritual by nature. But somehow we are now in material consciousness, caged in the material world and thus experiencing material distresses. Understanding this, we should endeavor to rise above impure material consciousness and situate ourselves in pure spiritual consciousness. This is possible only by hearing Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, following the example of the Vrajavāsīs. Regular nourishment from spiritual discussions about Lord Kṛṣṇa will shield us from the obstacles and indulgences of this world and thus spiritually shape our consciousness. *Attitude*: Spiritual discussions in line with those of the Vrajavāsīs must be carried out in an appropriate mood. While we hear, read, or discuss the pastimes of the Lord, our mood shouldn’t be that of a mere information-seeker; rather, it should be that of a transformation-seeker. Information-seeking involves knowing things, but transformation-seeking involves making an honest attempt to practically apply the teachings one has learned. *Absorption*: The degree of transformation we experience is proportional to the degree of our absorption in the hearing process. Until we internalize, absorb, and realize the principles of proper hearing, we can’t really say we’ve capitalized on them. We must not only hear, but also internalize what we hear and act on it. That will lead to great spiritual bliss and enable us to transcend material tribulations. As Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (10.9), > mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā > bodhayantaḥ parasparam > kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ > tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca “The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.” *Gaurāṅga Darśana Dāsa (www.gaurangadarshan.com), a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, is dean of the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha at ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village (GEV), outside Mumbai. He is the author of twenty-seven books, including the Subodhini series of study guides, children’s books such as Bhagavatam Tales, and other self-enrichment books. He regularly conducts online and residential scriptural courses for both children and adults. He also oversees the deity worship at GEV.* Liberation from the Desire for Liberation *For the advanced devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, nothing surpasses the opportunity to serve and please Him.* By Jagannātha Gopāla Dāsa The highest goal of spiritual practices far surpasses simply freedom from the suffering of material existence. Having been born and raised in an Indian brāhmaṇa family, I have often heard from elder family members and friends about their aspiration for mokṣa, or *mukti*—that is, liberation from material existence. People who have lived tough lives filled with ups and downs often aspire to be rid of all the encumbrances of a life of struggle in this world. “Enough is enough,” they say. “Now I want liberation from all this suffering.” Life in the material world is indeed a hard struggle for existence. Kṛṣṇa confirms this in the *Gītā* (8.15), where He describes the material world as *duḥkhālayam* (full of miseries) and *aśāśvatam* (temporary). Naturally, then, Kṛṣṇa considers that recognizing birth, old age, disease, and death as the real problems of life is one of the aspects of true knowledge. Consequently, the perfection of many spiritual paths in the typical Vedic context is the attainment of a state of equanimity, free from the miseries of the material world. Thus, I grew up with the idea that the attainment of a peaceful state of existence, devoid of any miseries or problems in life, is indeed the objective of spiritual practice. Being fortunate enough to be introduced to the path of *bhakti*, or devotional service, I came to understand that mere cessation of misery, though an exalted state of spiritual realization not easily reached, is not the highest point of spiritual attainment. Right at the outset, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teachings regarding the path of devotional service raise our understanding of liberation. One of the six characteristics of *bhakti* mentioned in *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu* (1.1.17), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s magnum opus, is *mokṣa-laghutā-kṛt*, or disregard for liberation: > kleśa-ghnī śubhadā mokṣa- > laghutā-kṛt sudurlabhā > sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā > śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī ca sā “The unique characteristics of *bhakti* are its ability to destroy suffering, its bestowal of auspiciousness, its disregard for liberation, its rarity of attainment, its manifestation of concentrated bliss, and its ability to attract Kṛṣṇa.” *The Aspirations of Satyavrata Muni* In the *Dāmodarāṣṭakam* prayers composed by Satyavrata Muni and sung every day during the sacred month of Kārttika, *mokṣa* is rejected twice. He prays in verse 4, “O Lord, although You are able to give all kinds of benedictions, I do not pray to You for the boon of impersonal liberation, or the highest liberation of eternal life in Vaikuntha, or any other boon.” (varaṁ deva *mokṣa*ṁ na mokṣāvadhiṁ vā na cānyaṁ vṛṇe ’haṁ vareśād apīha) And (verse 7): “I only long for this [*prema-bhakti*, or loving devotional service to You] and have no desire for any kind of liberation.” (*na mokṣe graho me ’sti dāmodareha*) In addition to rejecting *mokṣa* twice, Satyavrata Muni prays thrice to be bestowed with *bhakti*: > idaṁ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālam? > sadā me manasy āvirāstām? kim anyaih? “O Lord, I simply wish that this form of Yours as Bāla Gopala in Vṛndāvana may ever be manifest in my heart, for what is the use to me of any other boon besides this?” (verse 4) And in verse 5 he prays, “May this beautiful vision of Your lotus face be ever manifest in my heart. Thousands and thousands of other benedictions are of no use to me.” (*manasy āvirāstām alaṁ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ*). Finally, in verse 7: “O Lord Dāmodara, please give me Your own *prema-bhakti*.” (tathā *prema-bhakti*ṁ svakāṁ me prayaccha) The following questions may then arise: Why do great souls like Satyavrata Muni disregard such an exalted spiritual attainment as liberation? Is there something even higher? Yes. The scriptures explain that love for God, or *bhakti*, is the highest attainment of spiritual life (*premā pumartho mahān*). Selfless love for God is the essence of spiritual life. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (1.2.6) explains that the bliss we experience in any of our actions is proportional to the selflessness (*ahaituki*) with which we perform them as service to God. *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu* echoes this principle when it defines *uttama* *bhakti*, the topmost devotional service, as *anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam*, without any other motives than to serve and please the Supreme person. Furthermore, in advanced stages of *bhakti*, the love the devotee feels for Kṛṣṇa is so intense that anything other than the opportunity to serve and please Him, including liberation devoid of devotional service, is unacceptable. *Sārvabhauma’s Transformation* This characteristic of a devotee was elucidated through a sweet exchange in the life of Lord Caitanya and mentioned in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Madhya* 6.259–285). One of His close associates in Jagannath Puri, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭacārya, had been an impersonalist (*Māyāvādī*), or one who considers *mukti* the highest spiritual goal. Later, however, when he met Lord Caitanya and had the fortune to receive the correct purport of Vedānta from Him, he became an ardent devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One day soon after, Sārvabhauma quoted a verse to Caitanya Mahāprabhu from Lord Brahmā’s prayers to Kṛṣṇa in the Tenth Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (10.14.8): > tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo > bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam > hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te > jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk “My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.” But Sārvabhauma changed the word *mukti* in the last line to *bhakti*. When Lord Caitanya heard that, He said, “In that verse the word is *mukti-pade*, but you have changed it to *bhakti-pade*. What is your intention?” (*Madhya* 6.262) Sarvabhauma replied: The awakening of pure love of Godhead, which is the result of devotional service, far surpasses liberation from material bondage. The impersonalists, who do not accept the transcendental form of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the demons, who are always engaged in blaspheming and fighting with Him, are kept away from service to Kṛṣṇa by being merged into the Brahman effulgence. But that does not happen to the person engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. There are five kinds of liberation: *sālokya, sāmīpya, sārūpya, *sārṣṭi** and *sāyujya*. If there is a chance to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a pure devotee sometimes accepts the *sālokya, sārūpya, sāmīpya* or *sārṣṭi* forms of liberation, but never *sāyujya*. (*Madhya* 2.263–67) Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied: The word **mukti*-pade* has another meaning. *Mukti-pada* directly refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All kinds of liberation exist under the feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore He is known as **mukti*-pada*. According to another meaning, *mukti* is the ninth subject, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the shelter of liberation. Since I can understand Kṛṣṇa according to these two meanings, what point is there in changing the verse? (*Madhya* 6.271–73) In this way Lord Caitanya exhibited His supreme brilliance in devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, the author of *Caitanya-caritāmṛta*, comments on this incident with reference to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya: “Indeed, that very person who had been accustomed to reading and teaching Māyāvāda philosophy was now averse to the word *mukti*. This was possible only by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” (*Madhya* 6.278) *Mukti as a Servant* Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport to *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 3.25.33: *Bhakti* is in a far higher position than *mukti* because a person’s endeavor to get liberation from the material encagement is automatically served in devotional service. The example is given here that the fire in the stomach can digest whatever we eat. If the digestive power is sufficient, then whatever we can eat will be digested by the fire in the stomach. Similarly, a devotee does not have to try separately to attain liberation. That very service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the process of his liberation because to engage oneself in the service of the Lord is to liberate oneself from material entanglement. Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has written in *Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta* (107), “If I have unflinching devotion unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, then *mukti*, or liberation, serves me as my maidservant. *Mukti*, the maidservant, is always ready to do whatever I ask.” (*mukti*ḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate ’smān) Lord Caitanya in His *Śikṣāṣṭakam* prays for *bhakti* life after life (mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād *bhakti*r ahaitukī tvayi), as opposed to asking for any other benediction, such as wealth, followers, conjugal associations, and so on (*na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye*). A further consideration on the relationship between *mukti* and *bhakti* is that even though *bhakti* is clearly the highest goal, *mukti* can be used in the service of Kṛṣṇa. For instance, the four types of *mukti* that Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya listed above can encourage and facilitate our service to the Lord. So what exactly is the culprit here? The answer: not *mukti* itself, but the desire for it. In *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu* (1.2.22), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes, > bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat > piśācī hṛdi vartate > tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra > katham abhyudayo bhavet “The material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bondage are considered to be two witches, and they haunt one like ghosts. As long as these witches remain within the heart, how can one feel transcendental bliss? As long as these two witches remain in the heart, there is no possibility of enjoying the transcendental bliss of devotional service.” Pure devotees who live every moment of their lives in pure love for Kṛṣṇa do not have even the desire to go back to Godhead (living on the same planet as the Lord, *sālokya*), to attain the same bodily features as the Lord (*sārūpya*), to get the direct association of the Lord (*sāmīpya*), or to get the same opulences as the Lord (*sārṣṭi*). All they want is to serve the Lord birth after birth, wherever they may be. To facilitate their service, Kṛṣṇa may award them one or more of the four kinds of *mukti*, but that is not their primary aspiration in spiritual life. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport to *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 5.6.17: “For a devotee, *mukti* is not a very great achievement. *Mukti* means being situated in one’s constitutional position. The constitutional position of every living being is that of the Lord’s servant; therefore when a living entity is engaged in the Lord’s loving service, he has already attained *mukti*. Consequently a devotee does not aspire for *mukti*, even if it is offered by the Supreme Lord Himself.” *Jagannātha Gopāla Dāsa (Jitendra Savanur) got connected to Kṛṣṇa consciousness through ISKCON Pune’s youth forum. He holds a master’s degree in computer science. He lives in New Jersey and works in the technology division of Goldman Sachs.* The Exalted Qualities of Prahlāda Mahārāja *A devotee of the Lord who even as a child exhibited the highest levels of pure spiritual love.* By Puruṣottama Nitāi Dāsa Even as a child, Prahlāda was revealed to be one of the great devotees extolled in the pages of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*. In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* the sage Nārada describes to King Yudhiṣṭhira many devotional qualities of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda was a great devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. He spent every moment of his life meditating on the beautiful form and transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord. From childhood, he desired only to enthrone the Supreme Lord Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa, in his heart. We ordinary souls contemplate mundane things and engage mentally and physically in worldly activities. But pure souls like Prahlāda never waste their time contemplating mundane subjects; rather, they engage their mind and senses in activities which are sanctioned by the scriptures and which take one closer to the lotus feet of the Lord. Prahlāda has numerous good qualities, and it is not possible to discuss all of them here. But let us discuss and meditate upon a few of them. *A Great Devotee* In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (7.4.33) the sage Nārada says that although born in a family of demons, Prahlāda was a great devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. In fact, it was because of Nārada’s spiritual instructions that Prahlāda became a devotee. Nārada enlightened Prahlāda in Kṛṣṇa consciousness when Prahlāda was in the womb of his mother, Kayādhu. Prahlāda then constantly meditated on the lotus feet of the Lord and experienced great happiness. Prahlāda’s devotional ecstasy as a five-year-old boy is described by Nārada: “Because of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sometimes cried, sometimes laughed, sometimes expressed jubilation and sometimes sang loudly.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.4.39) *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (6.3.20–21) lists twelve *mahājanas*, great devotees of the Lord recognized as leading authorities on *dharma*, and Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of them. *Fearless Prahlāda* Prahlāda’s father, King Hiraṇyakaśipu, repeatedly tried to kill him. But little Prahlāda remained unperturbed. Because of ignorance and ego, Hiraṇyakaśipu considered Lord Viṣṇu his enemy. So he was seething with anger when he discovered that his own son was a devotee of his enemy. Maddened by anger, he decided to torture and eliminate Prahlāda, an innocent five-year-old boy. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (7.5.39–40) explains how Prahlāda was tortured: “The demons [*Rākṣasas*], the servants of Hiraṇyakaśipu, thus began striking the tender parts of Prahlāda Mahārāja’s body with their tridents. The demons all had fearful faces, sharp teeth and reddish, coppery beards and hair, and they appeared extremely threatening. Making a tumultuous sound, shouting, ‘Chop him up! Pierce him!’ they began striking Prahlāda Mahārāja, who sat silently, meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Prahlāda did not even try to protect himself. He was fearless in front of the mighty demons. This infuriated the bloodthirsty demons, who couldn’t understand why Prahlāda was always fearless and jubilant in spite of threats to his life. Hiraṇyakaśipu, the mighty tyrant who had brought the entire universe to its knees, would surely have considered Prahlāda’s responses as well. Hiraṇyakaśipu devised many means to torture and eventually kill his five-year-old son. But Prahlāda was always peaceful and blissful. How was that possible? To understand, let us reflect on the next quality of Prahlāda. *Faith in the Lord* Prahlāda had complete faith in the Lord’s protection, and so he was not worried about anything in this world. He was never agitated when put in danger. He only thought how he could best utilize every moment of his life in remembering and serving the Lord. Just as a child knows very well that his father is always there for him when he is in danger, similarly Prahlāda was fully aware that the supreme father was always there for him. So we see that when Prahlāda’s material father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, began torturing him, he was not mentally or emotionally disturbed, because he was under the shelter of his spiritual father, Lord Viṣṇu. In spite of all his power, the mighty demon Hiraṇyakaśipu was not able to do even a little harm to great Prahlāda. Finally, Lord Viṣṇu appeared as Lord Narasiṁhadeva to please Prahlāda and kill the demon. Expressing his complete faith in the mercy of the Lord, Prahlāda said, “Nothing is unobtainable for devotees who have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all causes, the original source of everything.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.6.25) *Compassion for All* After killing Hiraṇyakaśipu, Lord Narasiṁhadeva asked Prahlāda to request a benediction from Him. Prahlāda could have asked for anything, and the Lord would have immediately fulfilled his desire. However, Prahlāda was not concerned about his own well-being. He did not fear this world, because he was always taking shelter of the Lord. But he felt sorry for the souls suffering in this world and also for those who, although suffering, are imagining that they are enjoying. “O best of the great personalities, I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and maintaining their families, societies and countries. I am simply concerned with love for them.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.9.43) Just as without sun there cannot be light, similarly without Kṛṣṇa there cannot be happiness. So Prahlāda had a great desire that everyone should take shelter of the Supreme Lord. He again and again prayed to Narasiṁhadeva to free everyone from their suffering. Just as the Supreme Lord is equal toward everyone and does not have any friend or enemy, similarly Prahlāda did not consider anyone his enemy. He was everyone’s best well-wisher and had compassion for all living entities. He even begged the Lord to forgive his father of all his sins. Prahlāda did not have a revengeful mind. And the sinful demon got purified just by the touch of Lord Narasiṁhadeva. *No Interest in Childish Playthings* One of the qualities of Prahlāda I like the most is that as a child he was not interested in childish playthings but used all his time in practicing devotion to the Supreme Lord. When there would be leisure time, Prahlāda’s friends would invite him to play with them. But as a true friend, Prahlāda would persuade his friends not to waste time in worldly activities but use the given time in chanting and singing the glories of the Supreme Lord. And Prahlāda’s friends were so moved by his kind and loving words that they followed his advice. Now let us reflect on our own life. Forget the time when we were children, now also when we are grown up we may be interested in playing sports or watching sports. We may get so immersed in sports that we forget everything else. Such absorption may give some flickering enjoyment, but it is never going to satisfy our heart and give us endless happiness. As souls, we are pleasure seekers by nature. So we always look for pleasure everywhere. And not just from sports—we also try to enjoy life by watching movies, listening to songs, watching online videos, talking about politics, engaging in idle gossip, and so on. These activities may help us escape from our boring routine life, but they cannot bring joy to our heart. We all have experienced this. But we see that Prahlāda was always in bliss because he was always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Pure devotees of the Lord enjoy every moment of their life to the fullest because they find joy in spiritual activities like chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa, hearing about Kṛṣṇa, and worshiping the deity of Kṛṣṇa. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the lives of great devotees like Prahlāda have been described so that we can learn from their lives and apply that knowledge in our own life. *Free from Pride* Prahlāda had no tinge of pride. He was the son of the emperor of the universe and had immense wealth at his disposal, but he lived like an ordinary child. He never considered himself superior to others. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (7.4.31–32) says, “To respectable persons he acted exactly like a menial servant, to the poor he was like a father, to his equals he was attached like a sympathetic brother, and he considered his teachers, spiritual masters and older Godbrothers to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Prahlāda was even always respectful toward his father, who insulted and tortured him. *Heroic Preacher* Practicing and teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness were banned during the reign of Hiraṇyakaśipu, but Prahlāda took it upon himself to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He was a fearless preacher. Even the king of heaven, Indra, feared Hiraṇyakaśipu, but Prahlāda fearlessly spoke truth to the powerful demon. He risked his life for that. When Prahlāda was preaching to his classmates, he explained how much people are wasting their time. Assuming that a human being lives for 100 years, one wastes half of one’s life in sleeping. So one has just 50 active years. In childhood one passes 10 years in ignorance, and in boyhood another 10 years are wasted in playful activities. In old age one becomes invalid and is not able to perform many material activities, so how will he perform spiritual activities? In this way another 20 years are wasted. So one has only 10 active years. But unfortunately these are also lost in earning money and taking care of household activities. So Prahlāda asked his friends not to waste their lives in sense gratification. Instead, they should immediately start practicing devotion to God, and they were convinced. But he did not stop there. To the surprise of all and the horror of some, he began preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness to Hiraṇyakaśipu. The demon would have never expected that a five-year-old child would try to make him a devotee of Viṣṇu. Hiraṇyakaśipu had great pride in his strength, and he thought that with this strength he would succeed in killing Lord Viṣṇu. Prahlāda tried his best to make the ignorant demon understand that he would never be able to kill the Lord. He would tell him that all his strength came from the Supreme Lord. “My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahmā, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.8.7) Hiraṇyakaśipu tried his best to kill Prahlāda, and Prahlāda tried his best to make Hiraṇyakaśipu a devotee of the Lord. *Glorious Prahlāda* Glorifying Prahlāda, sage Nārada says, “In any assembly where there are discourses about saints and devotees, O King Yudhiṣṭhira, even the enemies of the demons, namely the demigods, what to speak of you, would cite Prahlāda Maharāja as an example of a great devotee.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.4.35) Prahlāda had many spiritual qualities, and so he is celebrated as one of the great devotees of the Lord. He shunned all material desires and took complete shelter of Lord Viṣṇu, who appeared as Lord Narasiṁhadeva, the protector of all sincere devotees, who are rare in this world. *Puruṣottamā Nitāi Dāsa is a member of the congregation at ISKCON Kolkata. He writes at https://discoverursupersoul.com.* The Crown Belongs to Kṛṣṇa: The Appearance of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara *In London, Lord Kṛṣṇa fulfilled the desire of His pure devotee Śrīla Prabhupāda in a most charming way.* By Satyarāja Dāsa *Evidently, Lord Kṛṣṇa in His deity form wanted to be worshiped in London by Śrīla Prabhupāda and his disciples.* The year was 1933. The mission to the West had been a long time coming. Śrī Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa in the form of His own devotee, had famously predicted some 450 years earlier that His name would be heard in every town and village of the world.1 Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava luminary Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (1838–1914) elaborated on this prediction, prophesying that fortunate souls from numerous countries would band together in *kīrtana*, and that the process of *bhakti-yoga* would thereby know worldwide acclaim.2 As the twentieth century moved forward, Bhaktivinoda’s son Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī (1874–1937), having founded the Gaudiya Math in 1918, set forth to make these predictions a tangible reality.3 London was his focus. The relationship between India and England had been checkered. The British Raj ruled the subcontinent from 1858 to 1947, offering new facility to India’s people while simultaneously trivializing her indigenous culture and, according to some, stealing her riches. Consequently, the Gaudiya Math’s journey west in the 1930s could have been seen as a form of spiritual retribution, even if, more accurately, it was an act of grace: The Gauḍīya mission moving west was born of a desire to share India’s rich spiritual culture and had little to do with the political situation of the time. Thus, on April 10, 1933, four years prior to his passing, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī engaged three distinguished disciples in making the arduous journey. Their ship took them thousands of miles from home, and after a wearying ten-day voyage, the SS Victoria docked in Naples. Once there, the determined disciples traveled by train to the British capital, arriving at London’s Victoria Station on April 22. Shortly thereafter, the London Gaudiya Mission Society was formally registered at Caxton Hall, Westminster, making history on behalf of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and the entire disciplic succession.4 By the time Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta’s men arrived, thousands of Indians were already residing in England, and so by May 11 of that year a temporary Gaudiya Math center was established at Greyton Garden, Kensington, London, supported by those already familiar with the Kṛṣṇa tradition. While Indians were naturally drawn to this authentic representation of their own Vaiṣṇava culture, a handful of indigenous Britishers and Germans were attracted as well, and while this was certainly a breakthrough for Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta and his Gaudiya Mission—i.e., a tangible manifestation of Śrī Caitanya’s prediction coming to pass—it never progressed beyond a preliminary introduction, with few members becoming serious practitioners.5 Significantly, this initial endeavor took place in Europe, not America. For Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta’s disciples, going to England was a logical and strategic move, especially given the United Kingdom’s longstanding relationship with India and its then prominent position on the world stage. Moreover, America at the time did not hold the same global significance as it would some thirty years later, in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s time. In fact, in the 1930s, the United Kingdom was a substantial colonial power in India. During the Victorian era, it was the largest empire the modern world had thus far seen, and it was the only one to have ruled the entire Indian subcontinent. Neither the Sultanates, nor the Mughals, nor Emperor Ashoka had managed to accomplish this. Naturally, then, London was the preferred port of call in the time of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, when India was still under colonial rule. However, after WWII, Indian independence, and the advent of the United States as a global superpower, the world was virtually reinvented, at least politically, and America would become the natural first choice for Gauḍīya missionary activity in the West, especially if Kṛṣṇa consciousness were to spread around the world as Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda had predicted. In other words, if Śrīla Prabhupāda had commenced his western journey in the 1930s, as his colleagues did, it is likely he would have initially gone to London and Germany. But that was not to be. *Enter Śrīla Prabhupāda* By 1965, when Śrīla Prabhupāda finally set sail, America had replaced Britain as the seat of power in the Western world. For this reason, among others, Prabhupāda boarded the SS Jaladuta for New York, arguably the most important city of the time. He focused on two things: the form of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the resounding desire of his spiritual master, who had told him: “Just try to preach in English language. If you do, both the people you speak to and you yourself will be benefitted.” When Prabhupāda arrived in New York City, his first order of business was to bring his master’s mission to this emperor of all cities. This he did, and by the end of 1966 his movement was established beyond any doubt—a subject that has been documented by many.6 Soon after, he opened ISKCON temples in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Montreal, and elsewhere. London, too, would be among his prime targets, as we shall now see. “After Montreal,” he wrote in a letter to the New York devotees as far back as 1967,7 “if I can establish one branch in London, it will be a great success for our mission.” He underlined his interest in establishing a center in London only one week later: “I wish that at least four centres may be established in the Western countries, including one in London.”8 This latter comment was directed to Kīrtanānanda, one of Prabhupāda’s leading New York disciples at the time, and later that year he sent Kīrtanānanda to try to fulfill this goal. But results were wanting, for Kīrtanānanda, upon returning from a short trip to India with Prabhupāda, allowed himself to get sidetracked in New York, a story unto itself.9 Nonetheless, Prabhupāda knew how hard his guru had worked to establish a presence in London, and while the political and cultural climate was different in the 1930s, as noted, it would still be a major accomplishment if he could bring Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the British world on behalf of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Prabhupāda set foot for the first time on English soil on July 23, 1967, when his flight to India was delayed and the airline arranged for him to spend the night at the Excelsior Hotel, near Heathrow. But the time was not right to establish his mission in Old Blighty, and so he decided not to abort his trip to India, nor would his disciple Kīrtanānanda, on his way back to America, serve as his emissary in the UK. Rather, ISKCON’s presence in London would have to wait until the fall of 1968, more than a year after Prabhupāda’s initial visit, when Śyāmasundara, an early disciple from America’s West Coast, became convinced that if he could make his way to London, he could somehow get the Beatles to listen to Prabhupāda’s message and thus spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness through their musical connections and fame—which is exactly what eventually happened.10 In early September 1968, Śyāmasundara realized his dream when he and his wife, Mālatī, along with their daughter, Saraswati, and two other couples—Gurudāsa and Yamunā, and Mukunda and Jānakī—arrived in London, initially finding a temporary dwelling at 80 Herne Hill in Lambeth (Greater London). Prabhupāda was thrilled. By September 10, the first street kīrtana took place in Trafalgar Square, as the entire disciplic succession no doubt smiled down and sang along. The devotees moved to various temporary dwellings, such as the ramshackle 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, where they tried to establish themselves but with little luck. They struggled financially, even if their determination and enthusiasm made their struggles seem insignificant. By winter, they were well known throughout the city and appreciated by the youth of London. At that time, too, George Harrison offered to buy them a five-story building near the British Museum, and by the summer’s end of 1969, the Bury Place temple was a done deal, beginning ISKCON’s real mission in London. Indeed, the Square Mile’s first Rathayātrā lit up city streets that summer as well. But it took awhile to establish a presence, and Prabhupāda, at George’s behest, stayed at John Lennon’s Tittenhurst estate while renovations were underway at Bury Place. It wasn’t until the following winter that things started really happening, with a formal temple. It was then that Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara arrived. Prior to this, ISKCON devotees worshiped small brass Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa deities or wooden Jagannātha deities, but no full-size marble Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa deities—Rādhā-Londonīśvara were the first. Yamunā, in particular, had asked Prabhupāda if she could worship large deities like those worshiped in India. Prabhupāda assured her that a form of Kṛṣṇa, unlike any she had ever seen, would soon arrive at the temple. And on his word the devotees planned an official opening day—even without any sure plan for the acquisition of deities. *The True “Controller” of London* The story starts with Jānakī, Mukunda’s wife, who answered the temple phone, as she had so many times before. A Hindu gentleman, Mr. Goyal, was on the other end, saying that he had three-foot-tall white marble deities of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa at the local Hindu Centre and that They might be suitable for the devotees’ new temple in London. This was something of a miracle, since the temple was soon to open, and no deities were in place. Goyal asked Jānakī if Prabhupāda would like to see Them, since Goyal lived nearby and could easily get to the temple. Jānakī told Mukunda about the conversation, and along with Tamāla Kṛṣṇa they decided to drive to Goyal’s residence on their own, doing reconnaissance work for Śrīla Prabhupāda. When they arrived, they exchanged pleasantries with Goyal, who promptly showed them the deities. Impressed by the beautiful forms before them, they quickly made their way back to their spiritual master to tell him what they had seen. Listening to the animated descriptions given by his disciples, Prabhupāda asked for his coat, and out they went in the temple van. Śyāmasundara was behind the wheel, with Prabhupāda next to him. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and Mukunda accompanied them in the back. As they soon found out, Goyal was in possession of these divine forms because the local East London Hindu Centre would not have them. They had ordered deities from India, but the tip of one of Rādhārāṇī’s fingers had been chipped in transit; customary Hindu tradition forbids the worship of such images, and so the Centre had given the images to Goyal to store. Prabhupāda was unconcerned with such pedestrian conventions. When His Divine Grace and his disciples entered Goyal’s dwelling, they were shown into the living room, where stood the deities in a corner, covered by cloth. Although Goyal was anxious to display Them before Prabhupāda at once, Prabhupāda exhibited a casual mood, engaging in cordial discussion with Goyal and family, almost as if he were uninterested in the deities. Prabhupāda’s disciples sat in silence, enamored by what seemed to them like some kind of transcendental tactic. Suddenly, after an hour or so, Prabhupāda rose from his chair and casually said, “Okay, let us see Them,” as he made his way across the room. The cloth was removed. Śyāmasundara gasped, and the others similarly expressed delight, but Prabhupāda showed no special interest. “Do you think your temple can use them?” Goyal offered. “Yes, it is possible,” replied Prabhupāda nonchalantly. Then he turned to Śyāmasundara. “Can you lift Kṛṣṇa?” And to Tamāla. “Can you lift Rādhā?” Each disciple took hold of their respective deitiy and lifted Them delicately. Although the forms of Kṛṣṇa and His consort were solid marble and thus weighty, the two young devotees carried Them with confidence. “Thank you very much,” Prabhupāda said, and without looking back continued toward the door. Goyal appeared confused, not sure what was taking place. He managed to blurt out, “We will bring Them to the temple in a few days.” But the devotees were already on their way out. “That’s all right,” replied Prabhupāda, “we can manage. We have our own transport.” And with that, he gestured toward his disciples. “Śyāmasundara, Tamāla, take Them out to the van. Go on, go ahead.” Goyal watched the deities make Their exit as Prabhupāda kept talking to him and smiling as they left. He made no attempt to stop them. Although Goyal said several times, “But wait,” Prabhupāda quickly countered with, “It’s all right; we will look after Them,” as he and the other devotees kept moving toward the door. Next thing the young disciples knew, they were carefully placing the deities in the back of the van, climbing in with Them, and making sure They were safely situated. Śyāmasundara closed the doors and jumped in the driver’s seat, excited that Prabhupāda somehow mystically convinced Goyal to let them have the deities. Goyal waved as they left. “Now drive,” Prabhupāda told Śyāmasundara. Meanwhile, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and Mukunda held the deities tight to make sure They didn’t fall over. Śyāmasundara drove for a few city blocks. Then Prabhupāda told him to stop the car, and Prabhupāda got out, went around the side of the car, and opened the back doors. There, on a typical English street, he bowed before Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, tearfully reciting the prayers found in the ancient text known as the Brahma-saṁhitā. All of a sudden he stopped, turned to the devotees, and said, “Now Kṛṣṇa has come.” The young devotees assisting Prabhupāda were shocked, each convinced they had witnessed something mystical. Their spiritual master had interacted with Goyal according to necessity, apparently in a shrewd way, but beneath the surface was a transaction with Kṛṣṇa, who had lovingly agreed to manifest in ISKCON by the grace of His pure devotee. “Prabhupāda,” Mukunda ventured slowly, “I think you have kidnapped Kṛṣṇa.” Prabhupāda smiled, not affirming or denying his disciple’s well-considered opinion. Finally, Prabhupāda uttered the following words: “In my householder days I had a scheme to borrow a lot of money from the bank, but the bank manager refused. So I spoke to him for a long time and convinced him. He said, ‘Mr. De [Prabhupāda’s former name], you should have been a politician.’” They all laughed. At the Bury Place temple, Yamunā excitedly awaited their return, watching from the window. She saw the van pulling up and was speechless as the rear doors opened, revealing the deities. As the devotees made their way upstairs, carrying the images that would become the Lords of their lives, on Prabhupāda’s instruction they gingerly placed Them in his room. He turned to Yamunā, who was full of anticipation. “Your marble Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa have come,” he said. “Put Them in the corner and cover Them with cloth until They are ready for our worship.” The chip on Rādhā’s finger was just Kṛṣṇa’s trick, Prabhupāda told the devotees. “Because of this, the Hindu Centre wouldn’t want these deities—that was the Lord’s plan, because He wanted to come here.”11 Naturally, Prabhupāda immediately began writing letters to his Godbrothers in India. They had initially expressed doubt that he would succeed where they had failed and were utterly convinced that he would return to India having accomplished little. Instead, augmenting several years of success stories in America, he now told the story of how the large Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa deities had come into his possession and declared that, because of this, London would soon know a full-fledged Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. Indeed, he wrote to Śrīdhara Mahārāja and others, reminding them that this endeavor in England would be the fulfillment of the long-anticipated desire of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. *The Temple Opens* Meanwhile, the Bury Place temple was becoming a haven for hippies, Indians, and people intrigued by Kṛṣṇa in general—it became the hip place to go, for chanting, dancing, and feasting. But for Prabhupāda, the main order of business at this point was installing the deities. When this takes place, Prabhupāda said, a temple becomes a temple. “Shyamasundara” writes Ranchor Prime (Ranchor Dāsa), “was put in charge of repairing Radha’s hand. Through George he asked for help from the sculptor David Wynne, who came and made the repair.” Ranchor continues: On the morning before the installation, workmen came and laid a deep purple carpet in the temple room–another gift from George. Shyamasundar put the marble altar in place. The yellow sienna formed the main slab, mounted two feet off the floor on blocks of redwood, and the three oblong pieces of granite lay in front as steps. Behind the altar he lined the wall with plain redwood panelling, the natural wood contrasting with the highly polished marble. Above the main altar he fixed a two-inch-thick redwood shelf, firmly supported by two sturdy columns, to bear the three Jagannath deities. Dark purple curtains were hung in front of the altar to divide it from the main room, and four spotlights were installed to illuminate the place where Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa would stand.12 And then the moment arrived: December 14, 1969, the day of formal installation. Devotees had been advertising the imminent opening for weeks. And by noon of that day, the temple swelled with visitors—even the BBC was there to document the event for television. The temple was packed, with all eyes on Prabhupāda. “This is the most wonderful day for all of London, because Kṛṣṇa is today appearing in this city,” Śrīla Prabhupāda said in his short opening address. “These deities will be called Rādhā-Londonīśvara, meaning ‘the controller of London.’”13 Mukunda Goswami, who was there, relates the sheer glory (and near catastrophe) of that temple opening: Prabhupāda performed the installation ceremony by pouring ladles-full of the liquids over the deities. The milk, ghee and honey cascaded down Their curved bodies, collecting momentarily in the ridges of Their eyes and the folds of Their carved clothing. Then Yamuna, Gurudas, Tamal Krishna and I moved the deities behind the curtain and onto Their marble plinth. Then Prabhupada joined us, having finished the fire ceremony, and directed Yamuna how to dress the deities in Their new clothes. The rest of us were trying to position a purple silken canopy over the deities’ altar. It was to rest upon four turned wooden columns that were painted silver. The problem was that the pillars slipped and slid all over the altar the minute we tried to place the canopy’s aluminum frame on top of them. We tried once again to place the canopy on the pillars, only to have it slip toward the Deity of Krishna. Prabhupada sprang onto the marble altar and caught the cupola an instant before the aluminum frame crashed onto the Deity’s head. We all exchanged looks—standing on the altar was something none of us would dare to do, but the look on Prabhupada’s face was that of someone rescuing his child from being crushed. “Take it out,” Prabhupada said to me, holding the frame in both hands, “Take this out.” I decided I would try to make it look like part of the ceremony. I emerged from the Deity room being careful not to part the curtain and expose the deities to the crowd, and picked my way through the seated crowd, which grudgingly parted to let me pass. From the back of the room I saw that the curtains had parted and Yamuna was twirling three smoking incense sticks the way Prabhupada had shown us in the first months we had known him. The arati ceremony progressed while Prabhupada stood with folded palms before his Lords.14 As Yamunā tells it, with added detail: Then Purushottama and Tamal Krishna brought the deities to the altar. Prabhupada and I followed, and I closed the curtain. All four of us were in the Deity room. Then an elbow hit one of the columns and immediately a chain reaction occurred. Right in front of us, the column began collapsing. For me everything happened in slow motion. My vision changed. I saw several things simultaneously. Firstly, I had never seen Srila Prabhupada move so fast. With one sweeping motion of his hand, he cleared the items on the bottom step. Then with his right hand, he steadied the column, and with his left hand, he gently but firmly held Srimati Radharani’s hand. It appeared to me almost like a choreographed dance, and yet his movements were so heroic, strong and graceful. It all happened in a split second. As he turned and looked at me, I saw on his brow tiny droplets of perspiration—his mouth frozen into a grim expression. . . . He appeared to me at that moment as the embodiment of chivalry—strong, commanding—saving his beloved Radharani. Srila Prabhupada allowed us to see in that small, extremely intimate gesture that this Radharani was real, not a marble statue, but a person—the Supreme Goddess.15 Thus, in a feat that would have been difficult for a man half his age, Śrīla Prabhupāda held up the marble platform while simultaneously clasping Rādhārāṇī’s hand to steady Her. Afterwards, it would take four young men to carry away that same marble platform. Prabhupāda’s nearly superhuman feat was a testament to his love. And all present were witness to it. From that day forward, the temple continued to grow, with new devotees joining weekly. Projects that had started before the deities arrived were now catapulted to yet another level. For example, the George Harrison connection that led to recording with Apple Records began in the summer of 1969 with the release of a single that quickly became an international hit, broadcasting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* throughout the world. But now, with 1970 approaching, it was breaking records (pun intended). Then, in the spring of 1971, Apple Records released The Rādhā Kṛṣṇa Temple album (on vinyl) in both America and Britain—with Rādhā-Londonīśvara on the cover! The implications should be clearly understood—this was not just an album distributed by devotees but was also available in every major record and department store worldwide. As a result, Their divine forms could now be seen nearly everywhere. Years later, in 1993, the album was released on CD, with liner notes provided by Derek Taylor, the noted English journalist, writer, publicist, and record producer. The Rādhā Kṛṣṇa Temple was then remastered and reissued in October 2010, as part of the Apple Box Set. Before the Apple reissues, the album had been re-released as Goddess of Fortune on the Spiritual Sky label in 1973, and in other editions, including that of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in 1991. Although these subsequent pressings no longer carried the image of Rādhā-Londonīśvara on the cover, the music was the same, initially inspired by the deities’ presence and eternally potent due to Their empowerment.16 *The Band Plays On* The Bury Place temple served as the devotees’ home and outreach facility for nearly a decade, and in 1977 they acquired their current building on Soho Street, moving the deities there in 1978, just after Śrīla Prabhupāda’s departure. Nonetheless, His Divine Grace had visited London—his final trip to the West—while ill earlier in 1977 and approved the Soho Street property, giving his blessings to move the deities there. The devotees—and the deities—were comfortably ensconced in their new temple in 1979, and continue there to this day. But Prabhupāda’s final journey in 1977 is telling: He could have gone anywhere, but he chose to see Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Londonīśvara, for they were so obviously dear to his heart. Ranchor Prime tells of that visit: The German devotees went with him, his white Rolls Royce followed by a string of white Volkswagen buses jumping the lights to keep up with him all the way down Finchley Road. Prabhupada was carried into the temple room to the sound of conches and kirtan as the curtains were pulled back to reveal Radha–London-Ishvara. The devotee performing arati turned to offer incense to Prabhupāda and was astonished by the scene. Prabhupada sat right at the foot of the altar, gazing fixedly at Krishna, his eyes streaming tears. As Prabhupada accepted the incense he looked up at the devotee, whose heart melted when he saw Prabhupada’s soft smile. Around him, tier upon tier, were the temple devotees and the massed members of the German yatra; at his side stood his faithful servants wiping away his tears. It seemed that the whole spiritual world was assembled for Prabhupada to say farewell to his beloved Radha and Krishna, whom he had brought here by his devotion eight years earlier. Now he was back one last time, the tide of his love carrying him to the Manor and finally as far as the feet of Radha–London-Ishvara.17 Surely, Śrīla Prabhupāda has a clear view of Them from the spiritual world. *NOTES* 1. *Śrī* *Caitanya-bhāgavata* (*Antya* 4.126). 2. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, “*Nityadharma Suryodoy*,” in *Sajjana-toṣaṇī* 4.3 (1885), 8–10. 3. For more on the Gaudiya Mission and its move West, see Ferdinando Sardella, Modern Hindu Personalism: The History, Life and Thought of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013). Also see Ferdinando Sardella, “Bengali Vaishnavism in court: the Gaudiya Math’s crisis of succession,” in The Journal of Hindu Studies, Vol. 13, No 1 (Oxford University Press, 2020), 54–70, as well as his “Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī (1874–1937): Vaiṣṇava Identity in Modern Dress” in Journal of Vaiṣṇava Studies, Vol. 15, issue 2 (Spring 2007), 95–122. For more on the Gaudiya Matha in England, see Mans Broo, “Hindu Gurus in Europe,” in Handbook of Hinduism in Europe, Volume 1, eds., Knut A. Jacobsen and Ferdinando Sardella (Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2020), 208. 4. See Ferdinando Sardella. “Vinode Vani Dasi (Daisy Cecilia Bowtell): A Little-Known Gaudiya Pioneer in the West,” Journal of Vaiṣṇava Studies, Volume 30, No. 2 (Spring 2022), 85–86. A disciplic succession is a lineage of masters and disciples, passing down eternal truths throughout history. 5. Ibid. 6. For more on Prabhupāda’s life and the story of ISKCON’s success, see Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami, *Śrīla* *Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta*, Vol. 1–2 (Los Angeles, CA: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1980–82, 2002, reprint); Hayagriva Dasa, *The Hare Krishna Explosion*: The Birth of Krishna Consciousness in America (New Vrindaban: Palace Press, 1985); Ranchor Prime, *When the Sun Shines: The Dawn of Hare Krishna in Britain* (Sweden: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 2009); Mukunda Goswami, Miracle on Second Avenue: Hare Krishna Arrives in New York, San Francisco, and London 1966–1969 (Badger, C.A., Torchlight Publishing, 2011); Dinatarini Devi, Yamuna Devi: A Life of Unalloyed Devotion (Alachua, Florida: Unalloyed, Inc., 2014); and Joshua M. Greene, *Swami in a Strange Land: How Krishna Came to the West* (San Rafael, C.A.: Mandala Publishing, 2016). 7. Prabhupāda letter to Brahmananda, Satsvarupa, Rayarama, Gargamuni, Rupanuga, and Donald, March 28, 1967. 8. Prabhupāda letter to Kīrtanānanda, April 7, 1967. 9. Prabhupāda letter to Dāmodara, October 13, 1967. See also letter to Janardana, October 3, 1967. 10. See Shyamasundar Das, Chasing the Rhinos with the Swami, Volume 1 (Self-published, 2016), 386–425. 11. The full story of the acquisition of the deities and the opening of the temple can be found in Tamal Krishna Goswami, Memories: Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint, Volume 4, ed., Siddhanta Dasa (Los Angeles: Monsoon Media, 2015); also see Tamal Krishna Goswami, “Radha Londonisvara Lila” (https://iskconklnews.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/radha-londonisvara-lila/). 12. Ranchor Prime, When the Sun Shines: The Dawn of Hare Krishna in Britain, op. cit., 172. 13. Prabhupāda modeled the unique naming of these deities after an inspiration that had occurred to him in Paris at around the same time: “The devotees asked Prabhupada to name the new Paris deities. Having explained that people in India looked to London for education and to Paris for enjoyment, he said, ‘Radharani is beautiful, just like a Paris girl, and Krishna has come here to find out this most beautiful of the *gopis*. So his name is Paris-Ishvara, ‘controller of Paris.”’ After six days in France he returned to the Manor. Having named Krishna in Paris, he agreed to name Krishna in London, calling him London-Ishvara, ‘controller of London.’” See Ranchor Prime, ibid., 329. 14. See Mukunda Goswami, *Miracle on Second Avenue*, op. cit., 420. 15. See Dinatarini Devi, *Yamuna Devi: A Life of Unalloyed Devotion*, op. cit., 229–230. 16. See Joshua Greene, *Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison* (New York: Wiley & Sons, 2007). 17. Ranchor Prime, *When the Sun Shines: The Dawn of Hare Krishna in Britain*, op. cit., 445–446. *Satyarāja 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.* Simplicity: A Not-So-Simple Concept *For an aspiring devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, what does it mean to live a simple life?* By Viśākhā Devī Dāsī Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotees differ from nondevotees in describing the essence of the simple life. Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged his followers to adhere to the principles of simple living and high thinking, and he himself exemplified those principles. People may associate simple living with minimalism, a current movement that encourages us to avoid overcollecting and conspicuous consumption. Minimalism has been shown to result in a less hectic, less cluttered life, with reduced stress, lower blood pressure, better sleep, and generally improved health. These perceptible and profound benefits, however, are only some side effects of what Śrīla Prabhupāda referred to as simple living. For him, simple living was much more than this, for it was inextricably linked to high thinking, which includes, among other characteristics, accepting the spiritual identity of all beings, the supremacy of God, and the goal of trying to reconnect with God through selfless and devoted service. A person who is practiced in high thinking sees past all bodily coverings and mental biases to the spiritual essence, the *ātmā*, within. In Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s words, “The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (*Gītā* 5.18) While not naive or foolish, that person is trusting and trustworthy and a kind friend to all. High thinking leads to an inner satisfaction that in turn fosters sublime simplicity. A person who lives simply and thinks high remains firmly focused on a worthwhile goal. Again in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s words, “Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one.” (*Gītā* 2.41) This focus protects the simple, thoughtful person from tangential, trivial distractions and diversions that squander energy, time, and life itself. The person with such focused awareness is joyful. Simple living and high thinking can revolutionize our lives. By guiding us past the pervasive foundations of lust and greed that our current civilization rests on, these two principles—simple living, high thinking—create a culture shock: they force us to be aware of what is actually necessary and what is superfluous. And to our embarrassment, we find that much of what we thought was necessary is actually superfluous. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “Live a very simple life, just maintaining body and soul together. Certainly one requires some means of livelihood, and according to one’s varṇa [occupation] and *āśrama* [spiritual order of life] this means of livelihood is prescribed in the *śāstras* [scriptures]. One should be satisfied with this. Therefore, instead of hankering for more and more money, a sincere devotee of the Lord tries to invent some ways to earn his livelihood, and when he does so Kṛṣṇa helps him.” (*Bhāgavatam* 7.14.5, Purport) This joyful, focused awareness comes not just from doing one’s societal duty but also and especially from developing one’s attraction to the Supreme Person. Queen Kuntī says, “O Lord of Madhu [Kṛṣṇa], as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.” (*Bhāgavatam* 1.8.42) Śrīla Prabhupāda explains: “This unalloyed devotion is the ultimate goal of life. Our attention is usually diverted to the service of something which is nongodly or not in the program of the Lord. When the program is changed into the service of the Lord, that is to say when the senses are purified in relation with the service of the Lord, it is called pure unalloyed devotional service. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī wanted that perfection and prayed for it from the Lord.” (*Bhāgavatam* 1.8.42, Purport) *Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Example* Devotees in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement carry a story with them that gives them a sense of simple living, high thinking and an appreciation of the value of pure, unalloyed devotional service—that is the story of Śrīla Prabhupāda. In coming to the Western world with practically no possessions, money, or contacts, and freely giving the invaluable gift of transcendent knowledge as well as a practical process to attain the goal of that knowledge, Śrīla Prabhupāda exemplified simple living, high thinking. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s remarkable story gives his followers a sense of family, a recognition of Kṛṣṇa’s caring presence, an appreciation of His mysterious ways. Through this unique story his followers share a common bond, with shared values, goals, and affection for one another. And inspired by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s qualities and character, as well as his seismic teachings, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s followers strive to think high and be more internally and externally simple. This sort of simplicity is far more than minimalism; it means extricating ourselves from the ironlike governance of bodily consciousness; it means giving up hankerings, including the hankering for honor, respect, and prestige; it means saying no to ungodly options; it means remaining satisfied with whatever we have; it means, despite everything, staying spiritually resolute in purpose, just as Śrīla Prabhupāda did; it means tasting the ecstasy of our own insignificance. On the principles of simple living and high thinking, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us a vision of the world we can build together. These principles are not only about doing what’s right but are also a moral framework by which to see the world and navigate in it while remaining unaffected by it. Simple living and high thinking are a way to understand our struggles and our journey. *Our Consciousness Matters Most* One would hope that it would be easy to understand and apply the principles of simple living, high thinking to our lives. But this isn’t always so. For example, on one hand Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “A devotee should not live very gorgeously and imitate a materialistic person. Plain living and high thinking are recommended for a devotee. He should accept only so much as he needs to keep the material body fit for the execution of devotional service.” (*Bhāgavatam* 4.22.24, Purport) Certainly most exemplary devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa follow this directive—they live simply, dress simply, eat simply, and behave simply. But we hear of highly advanced devotees who lived differently. Ultimately, simplicity is not about the number of possessions and responsibilities we have or don’t have; it’s about our consciousness. And externals may belie our consciousness. *Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata* (*Madhya-khaṇḍa* 7.47–121, summarized here) relates an instructive episode in this regard. Mukunda Datta and Gadādhara Paṇḍita were close associates and childhood friends of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Mukunda heard that Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, who was known to him but not to Gadādhara, was visiting their town, Mukunda brought Gadādhara to meet Puṇḍarīka, whom Mukunda praised as an exceptionally advanced devotee. But when they visited Puṇḍarīka, what Gadādhara saw surprised him. “Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi seemed to be a glorious prince. He sat on a splendid red chair decorated with brass. The chair was beautiful with splendid fine cloth and graceful cushions on four sides. Above him were three splendid canopies. There were five or seven brass pitchers, both large and small. There were excellent betel nuts on a splendid brass tray. On both sides were splendid spittoons. Looking at Gadādhara Paṇḍita and chewing betel nuts, he [Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi] smiled. At every moment two men fanned him with peacock-feather fans. . . . Although he was in truth an exalted Vaiṣṇava, externally he seemed to be a materialist. He ate opulent food and wore opulent clothing, and his hair was anointed with opulent fragrances.” Puṇḍarīka then heard Mukunda recite a verse from the Bhāgavatam about how the merciless demoness Pūtanā ate babies and was planning to kill infant Kṛṣṇa by suckling him with her poison-smeared breast, yet despite this, because Pūtanā approached Kṛṣṇa as a mother and offered Him her breast milk, Śrī Kṛṣṇa gave her the post of being His mother in the spiritual world. The verse implies that only an ignorant fool would not worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, who grants such mercy. On hearing this verse, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi began to weep and exhibit the overwhelming ecstatic emotions of a devotee possessed of the highest levels of love for Kṛṣṇa. Gadādhara witnessed this transformation and became filled with wonder. “Seeing Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi dressed like a materialist,” he said, “I thought, ‘He is a Vaiṣṇava attached to sense pleasures.’ . . . I have committed an offense to Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. But if I become his disciple, he will forgive my offense.” When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was told of Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s desire, He approved of it. When Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi understood that Gadādhara wished to become his disciple, he smiled and said, “Destiny has placed a great jewel before me. I have no doubts. After many births I have become fortunate to find such a disciple.” Actual simplicity is a heart fully devoted to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Until we achieve that exalted state, however, simplicity means that whatever situation we find ourselves in, we think and act for the pleasure of guru and Kṛṣṇa, we learn from that situation, we depend on Kṛṣṇa, and we strive to advance spiritually. This consciousness is simple living and high thinking, and it will gradually qualify us to go back home, back to Godhead. *Visakha Devī Dāsī has been writing for BTG since 1973. The author of six books, she is the temple president at Bhaktivedanta Manor in the UK. She and her husband, Yadubara Dāsa, produce and direct films, most recently the biopic on the life of Śrīla Prabhupāda Hare Kṛṣṇa! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami Who Started It All. Visit her website at OurSpiritualJourney.com.* Spiritual Lessons from a Dog *When our main aspiration in life is for progress in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, we’ll find helpful lessons in unexpected places.* by Vraja Vihārī Dāsa An evolving relationship with street dogs inspires thoughts about progress in devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Over a dozen dogs snarled, ready to gnaw into my flesh. They barked ferociously, and I had only my bead bag to protect me. I felt helpless. Suddenly from nowhere an auto-rickshaw pulled up and I jumped in. It was a close shave. It was early morning, and I was walking to the village temple when the dogs surrounded me. I was overwhelmed. I guess they felt threatened by me, an intruder. Or perhaps my *dhoti* and *kurta* (rare clothing even in Indian villages these days), the tilaka mark on my forehead, and my loud chanting aroused their wrath. The following day, I again wished to go to the temple before sunrise. This time I carried a stick, but when I saw the dogs at a distance, I retreated; I felt unsure of its efficacy to ward off the menacing animals. A neighbor suggested I carry some biscuits. They were abundantly available at the roadside shops. I bought a few packets and the following morning braved the journey to the temple again. I was nervous, but the technique worked. The dogs wagged their tails in approval. I followed the ritual daily, and soon the dogs became my good friends. One day I tried another route, where earlier a lone dog would bark ominously at me. But I was surprised that even before I took out my biscuits, he ran to me, happily wagging his tail. Maybe his friends told him about me—I was a good man now! Over a few days, I witnessed another incident that touched my heart deeply. One of the dogs started following me to my house. I threw him a few crumbs, but he wouldn’t nibble them. He kept flapping his tail, rubbing his face on my leg, and jumping up, even as I briskly walked home. I wondered what he wanted. I threw some more morsels. He gave a cursory look at the scraps and insisted on walking with me. I had never liked dogs and could never touch them or allow them to come close to me. But this was a different experience. I suddenly felt this dog wanted me to pat him. Instantly I did that, and he licked me. He lifted his face up; he wanted me to love him and caress him. Grateful, he left after some time. I returned home, humbled and moved by this animal’s love. *Three Levels of Our Relationship with God* Later that night I reflected on the way my relationship evolved with the street dogs. First I saw fear and anger in their eyes, then I saw that they were greedy for food, and then I saw that this particular dog wanted only love. The third level—love—at which this dog approached me, had the most profound effect on me. I wondered at how this dog didn’t want any food, but only love. I realized that this is the way my relationship with Kṛṣṇa needs to evolve. During my initial days in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I was skeptical and challenged every facet of the philosophy. It was as if I barked at devotees and allowed my atheistic propensities to growl at Kṛṣṇa because I was threatened with losing my enjoyment and independence. In time, as devotees showed kindness and gave me prasāda, I saw that they were friends and wanted to give me love. I wagged my tail and was happy chanting and dancing. I often expressed gratitude to devotees and Kṛṣṇa. But my interaction with the loving dog reminds me that I need to take my spiritual life to the next level. Just as I was moved to see him reject everything else and only seek my love, Kṛṣṇa will be moved when I approach Him without any material desires. When I can tell Kṛṣṇa that I don’t want any of the material crumbs He can throw at me, but only His pat and loving embrace, then He will take my bhakti offerings seriously. *Choosing Kṛṣṇa Over Material Gifts* History is replete with examples of devotees who chose Kṛṣṇa’s love over the material gifts He offered. Arjuna and Duryodhana approached Kṛṣṇa for help before the Mahābhārata war. When Arjuna arrived, he saw that Kṛṣṇa was resting and that Duryodhana was waiting nearby for Kṛṣṇa to wake up. Arjuna quietly sat at Kṛṣṇa’s feet while Duryodhana sat impatiently near Kṛṣṇa’s head. When Kṛṣṇa woke, His eyes first fell upon Arjuna, and He spontaneously asked how He could serve him. Duryodhana interrupted, saying that he had arrived first and thus deserved the first offer of help. Kṛṣṇa insisted that He had seen Arjuna first and, moreover, Arjuna was younger and deserved to be asked first. Kṛṣṇa then offered two options: His entire army would fight for Arjuna if he wished, or he could instead choose Kṛṣṇa, who would not pick up any weapon. After Arjuna made his choice, the other offer would go to Duryodhana. Without batting an eye, Arjuna said that he preferred Kṛṣṇa; he didn’t want Kṛṣṇa’s army but His friendship, even if that meant Kṛṣṇa would not fight. Duryodhana couldn’t believe his ears. He got exactly what he wanted—Kṛṣṇa’s resources. He had no liking for the person Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna, however, had no desire for Kṛṣṇa’s material gifts; he preferred His loving association. Duryodhana represents a typical materialist, who “sits on God’s head”; he wants to play God’s role and seeks to exploit nature’s resources for his own selfish agenda. Arjuna represents a typical devotee, who is happy to situate himself at the Lord’s lotus feet, waiting patiently for the Lord to bestow mercy, seeking only His love. Duryodhana internally rejoiced at his great luck but externally feigned disappointment and said he’d accept his fate. He gleefully returned home, internally thanking Arjuna for his “foolishness.” But as events unfolded later, Arjuna’s choice proved auspicious, and the Pāṇḍavas won the war, largely due to Kṛṣṇa’s timely intervention at practically every step. Although Kṛṣṇa lived up to His promise and didn’t fight, he orchestrated events to help Arjuna and the Pāṇḍavas. *Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Instructions* Dhruva, a five-year-old boy, was determined to get a kingdom greater than Lord Brahmā’s. He performed severe austerities, and finally, when the Lord appeared and was willing to offer him anything he desired, Dhruva did a volte-face—he wanted no material wealth but only God’s love. Remembrance of the Lord had purified Dhruva of his lower desires, and he now offered prayers immortalized in the pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other scriptures. He declared that in comparison to the Lord’s personal association, which is like a priceless diamond, all the possessions and positions he had wished for in this world were like broken pieces of glass. He now only wanted the Lord’s loving service. Śrīla Prabhupāda often said that the residents of Vrindavan are considered Kṛṣṇa’s best devotees because they desired nothing material from Him. They only wanted to love Him unconditionally. In one lecture, Śrīla Prabhupāda graphically described that when Kṛṣṇa returned from the pasturing grounds of Vrindavan, the gopīs did not check Kṛṣṇa’s pockets to see what He had brought for them. They wanted nothing but His pleasure and love. *Becoming Kṛṣṇa’s Dog* Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a nineteenth-century Vaiṣṇava saint from Bengal, penned many beautiful songs in his book Śaraṇāgatī, where, as in the following, he often echoes the mood of a devotee. “O Kṛṣṇa, now that I have surrendered all I possess, kindly consider me Your dog. Chain me and maintain me, please; I shall forever remain faithful to You. Whatever remnants Your devotees leave after eating, I will relish them. While sitting or lying down, I shall always meditate on Your lotus feet. Whenever You call me, I shall run to You and dance in rapture.” Śrīla Prabhupāda pointed out that a dog’s best quality is his loyalty to his master. Devotees sometimes compare the neck beads they wear to a dog collar, considering themselves Kṛṣṇa’s dog. We don’t want to be like an uncared-for street dog that the municipality takes away. Our neck beads may prevent the town officials—i.e., the material energy—from dragging us away to a world of forgetfulness of God. Kṛṣṇa’s loving protection keeps us happy and safe in this world of persistent suffering and repeated birth and death. Following the instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda and our previous ācāryas, let’s happily choose to be Kṛṣṇa’s dogs and love and serve Him unconditionally. *Lord Caitanya and the Dog* When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Jagannātha Purī from Vṛndāvana, all His devotees from other parts of India, upon receiving the auspicious news, came to Puruṣottama-kṣetra, or Jagannātha Purī. Śivānanda Sena took a dog with him and even paid fees for it to cross the river. One night, however, the dog could not get any food and therefore went directly to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Jagannātha Purī. The next day, when Śivānanda and his party reached Jagannātha Purī, Śivānanda saw the dog eating some coconut pulp offered to it by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. After this incident, the dog was liberated and went back home, back to Godhead. —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya* 1, Summary *Vraja Vihārī Dāsa, a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, has served full time at ISKCON Chowpatty since 1999. He has an honors degree in economics and a master’s in international finance. He teaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness to youth and the congregation and has written four books. You can read his daily reflections at www.yogaformodernage.com.* Prayers O Govinda, Lord of my life, You are the moon of Gokula, the abode of transcendental bliss and the beloved of the gopīs. Please cast Your glance my way. O my Lord, since You are an ocean of mercy, I pray for a drop of that mercy—the treasure of serving Your lotus feet. Even hearing Your glories is supremely auspicious and bestows transcendental bliss on the hearer and fulfills all desires. Due to forgetfulness of You I wander in this terrible material life, attached to sense gratification, and my mind and body shattered and spiritually unconscious. In this way I am like a dying man in pain and misery. Narottama Dāsa prays to his golden-complexioned Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, “Please give Your merciful glance on me and keep me as Your servant in Vṛndāvana. You are my only shelter.” – Prārthanā, Song 5 Translation by Bhūmipati Dāsa From the Editor *Rescued* One of the many illuminating stories in *Śrīmad-*Bhāgavatam** is the history of Ajāmila, which begins in the first chapter of the Sixth Canto. Śukadeva Gosvāmī has just finished telling King Parīkṣit about the horrible suffering in the hellish planets that results from sinful acts committed in human life. As a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Parīkṣit naturally feels compassion for the suffering of others, and he asks, “Now kindly tell me how human beings may be saved from having to enter hellish conditions in which they suffer terrible pains.” (*Bhāgavatam* 6.1.6). Śūkadeva replies that human beings must atone for their sins by performing pious acts that counteract them. Parīkṣit is not satisfied with that answer, however, and points out that because ritual atonement doesn’t purify the heart, people go on committing the same sins again and again. Pleased by Parīkṣit’s understanding, Śūkadeva then presents the actual solution: human beings must purify their hearts by devotional service to the Lord. To illustrate this point, he tells of “a very old historical incident.” Ajāmila was a brāhmaṇa who abandoned his religious training and led a life of sin. On his deathbed, he is about to be dragged away to the hellish planets by the Yamadūtas, the agents of Yamarāja, who oversees the punishment of the sinful. In extreme terror at the sight of these angry, grotesque beings, Ajāmila calls out to his youngest son, whose name is Nārāyaṇa, a name of Lord Viṣṇu. Four Viṣṇudūtas, servants of Lord Viṣṇu, hear the heartfelt utterance of their master’s name, arrive on the scene, and rescue Ajāmila from the Yamadūtas. Now given another chance, Ajāmila resolves to reform. He retires to a holy place and by intense spiritual practices attains perfection and promotion to the spiritual world. The main lesson in Ajāmila’s story is the power of the Lord’s holy name to deliver us from the reactions to countless sins. That’s because Kṛṣṇa and His name are identical; the person Kṛṣṇa is fully present in the sound Kṛṣṇa, provided it is uttered without offense. Another important lesson is that any of us can change our sinful ways, take up the practices of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, and attain the perfection of human life, namely pure love for Him, the requirement for gaining His company in the spiritual world. Ajāmila said, “I am such a sinful person, but since I have now gotten this opportunity, I must completely control my mind, life and senses and always engage in devotional service so that I may not fall again into the deep darkness and ignorance of material life.” Śrīla Prabhupāda comments, “Every one of us should have this determination. We have been elevated to an exalted position by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, and if we remember that this is a great opportunity and pray to Kṛṣṇa that we will not fall again, our lives will be successful.” (*Bhāgavatam* 6.2.35) Ajāmila’s rescue by the Viṣṇudūtas was a dramatic event, but my own story may be similar. By the way I was living, I was destined for an appointment with the Yamudūtas. But Śrīla Prabhupāda, an agent of Lord Kṛṣṇa, rescued me from inestimable suffering. Following the example of Prahlāda Mahārāja in acknowledging his eternal debt to his guru, I must say, “My duty is to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. How could I leave his service?” Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor* Bhakti Wisdom 57/6 Various demoniac states all over the world are increasing their military power in many ways, and the whole situation has become distressful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has appeared by His name, in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, which will certainly diminish the burden of the world. Philosophers, religionists, and people in general must take to this movement very seriously, for man-made plans and devices will not help bring peace on earth. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 10.1.22, Purport If one is infected with the desire for material enjoyment or material liberation, he cannot rise to the platform of pure loving service unto the Lord, even though he may superficially render devotional service according to the routine regulative principles. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līla* 19.175 If one has enthusiasm in the beginning of devotional service, and that enthusiasm does not become cold, then one will never become apathetic, lazy, or distracted in chanting the holy names. Therefore enthusiasm is the only support for all types of devotional service. *Śrī*la Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura *Śrī* *Bhaktyāloka*, Chapter 7 O my Lord [Kṛṣṇa]! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahmā, for You appear in two features—externally as the *ācārya* and internally as the Supersoul—to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You. Śrī Uddhava *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 11.29.6 Always remembering Me, one should perform all his duties for Me without becoming impetuous. With mind and intelligence offered to Me, one should fix his mind in attraction to My devotional service. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 11.29.9 The . . . *jīva* is eternal and is for eternity and without a beginning joined to the Supreme Lord by the tie of an eternal kinship. He is transcendental spiritual potency. Lord Brahmā *Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā* 5.21 The Vrajavāsīs’ affection for Śrī Kṛṣṇa is natural. One who is inspired by their loving moods must practice *sādhana* continuously in order to attain an emotional attachment just like theirs. Only then can this extremely rare loving attachment that is found in Vraja be attained. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī Commentary on *Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā* 5.5 The Lord’s personal form possesses complete and faultless transcendental qualities. Indeed, the form of the completely independent Lord is free from all lifeless bodily characteristics. His lotus face and lotus feet consist simply of pure ecstasy. *Dhyāna-bindu Upaniṣad* COVER: Śrī Śrī Rādhā–London-Īśvara, the first deities of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in the UK. Please see the article beginning on p. 27. (Photo by David Crick.) 2024 A Spiritual First-aid Kit BTG58-01, 2024