# Back to Godhead Magazine #58 *2024 (05)* Back to Godhead Magazine #58-05, 2024 PDF-View COVER: The goal of *bhakti-yoga* is to be always conscious of Kṛṣṇa, with a heart filled with love for Him. Nourishing an appreciation of His unparalleled qualities helps us achieve that goal. Please see the article beginning on page xx. (Painting by Dhṛti Devī Dāsī.) Welcome In His final instruction in the *Bhagavad-gītā,* Lord Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna to abandon all attempts at elevation though conventional religious duties and yoga practices and simply take complete shelter of Him. Neglecting religious duties, especially, would certainly be of concern for Arjuna, as doing so would generally bring negative consequences. But Kṛṣṇa assures Arjuna that he need not worry about that, because He, the supreme lawmaker, will protect him from those consequences. The idea of taking shelter is a theme in several articles in this issue. In *Divine Shelter*, Rukmiṇī Vallabha Dāsa explains that we all seek shelter, hoping for protection from physical danger and a host of other challenges in this world. Unfortunately, we instinctively turn to material shelters, which are limited and temporary. The theme of Viśākhā Devī Dāsī’s *Counteraction under Kṛṣṇa’s Shelter* is similar, showing that the pattern of our lives is one of constant attempts to do away with life’s adversities. We can break that pattern only by relying on our true, eternal shelter. In *Hidden Struggles*, Tanay Shah writes of our near torturous condition in the supposed comfort of our mother’s womb. The *Bhāgavatam* tells of the rare soul who awakens to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in that miserable state and offers heartfelt prayers to the Lord. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor* Q&A *When God is one, why does the Vedic tradition teach polytheism, the worship of many gods?* The Vedic tradition is conclusively monotheistic. It seems polytheistic because it teaches not only exclusive monotheism, as in the Abrahamic traditions, but also progressive, multilevel monotheism. The Biblical tradition tells the story of the Prodigal Son, wherein a rebellious prince leaves his father’s home and kingdom, squanders away his inheritance, suffers ignominy, and returns home to be welcomed with open arms by his royal father. This story, while illustrating how the soul, due to rebelliousness, leaves the Divine Father, suffers, and eventually returns, underscores God’s immense love in readily accepting the errant soul. The Vedic tradition carries this thread forward: even during the soul’s self-imposed exile, God arranges for the soul’s care and gradual return. Carrying the Prodigal Son analogy further, suppose the son is fed up with serving an exploitative boss outside his father’s kingdom, but is not yet ready to return to his father’s palace. The father arranges for one of his ministers to offer him a job. When the son accepts this offer, he comes back to his father’s kingdom and thus his father’s indirect care. Eventually, when the son fully recovers his good sense, he returns to his father’s eager, joyful embrace. The many gods of the Vedic tradition are like the minister of the above story. These gods (or demigods, to be more precise) are administrative assistants of the Supreme God, who double as temporary, transitional surrogate objects of worship for the souls who have left God’s loving service and are not yet ready to return to it. Lord Kṛṣṇa describes this extraordinary system in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (7.20–23): “Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity. Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.” In contrast to the Abrahamic tradition, which depicts a jealous God who condemns the worship of other gods as infidelity, the *Gītā* reveals God to be magnanimous, for He facilitates the worship of other gods as a transitional arrangement for the gradual elevation of estranged souls. Of course, for souls who are ready to rise from the transition to the summit, the *Gītā* reveals the ultimate object of worship, the Supreme God, glorifying Him with epithets strikingly similar to those used for Yahweh in the Bible and Allah in the Koran. Thus the Vedic tradition teaches not naive polytheism, but profound, multilevel monotheism. *Why do you consider Kṛṣṇa to be God?* The Vedic scriptures give us an objective description of God as the person possessing fully the six opulences (excellences) whose fractional presence makes their possessor attractive for everyone. These six opulences are wealth, strength, wisdom, beauty, fame, and renunciation. For example, people are attracted to Bill Gates due to wealth, to Superman due to strength, to Emerson due to wisdom, to (put your favorite movie star’s name) due to beauty, to Alexander due to fame, and to Gandhi due to renunciation. After listing these objective opulences that distinguish God, the Vedic scriptures describe a personality who fully possesses them. *Kṛṣṇa* is wealthier than Gates, stronger than Superman, wiser than Emerson, more beautiful than the most beautiful movie star, more famous than Alexander, and more renounced than Gandhi. No wonder that *Kṛṣṇa* is celebrated in the Vedic tradition as God in His highest manifestation, as the epitome of all-attractiveness. This all-attractiveness is also the import of the name *Kṛṣṇa*, which means “one who has the opulences that can attract everyone.” Yes, God is all-powerful and all-merciful, as indicated by names like Allah and Jehovah, but His infinite power and mercy contribute to making Him all-attractive. And His all-attractiveness includes all other divine attributes, such as infinite power and mercy. Thus God’s name Kṛṣṇa conveys all that is conveyed by all other names and also conveys what is not conveyed by any other name. Still, some may consider Kṛṣṇa a sectarian god worshiped by a particular tradition. However, in principle the Vedic revelation of God as Kṛṣṇa doesn’t contradict the revelations of God in other religious traditions. And in details it supplements these revelations. For example, none of the great theistic religions would deny that God possesses the six opulences. Significantly, these traditions don’t reveal any personality who possesses these opulences. That’s why, for the open-minded, the Vedic revelation of God as Kṛṣṇa is a spiritual bonanza. They see the particulars about God revealed therein—His charming threefold-bending pose, His unforgettably mesmerizing bluish-black complexion, His heart-captivating flute music, His endearingly pastoral peacock feather—not as signs of sectarianism, but as signs of the culmination of the revelation of the divine given in various religious traditions. Founders Lecture: Vrindavan, India—November 3, 1972 *Achieving Our Ultimate Benefit* The Vedic scriptures teach us what our real problems are and how to be free of them once and for all. > sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair > yuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte > sthity-ādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ > śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ “The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world’s creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the quality of goodness.”—*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 1.2.23 As it is said in the Vedic literature, simply by the Lord’s glancing over the material nature and agitating the three modes of material nature, the whole creation comes out. This is the sum and substance of the material creation. Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying in the Causal Ocean, Kāraṇārṇava, and He is breathing, and from His breathing innumerable universes are coming out. And in each and every universe, Mahā-Viṣṇu enters in His further expansion as Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu. From the abdomen of Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu there is a lotus stem, and in that lotus flower Lord Brahmā is born. In this way creation is made. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara (Śiva) are the principal directors of the three *guṇas*, the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Therefore Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara are called *guṇāvatāra*. Lord Viṣṇu is in charge of *s*attva-guṇa** activities—activities in the mode of goodness. Therefore **brāhmaṇa*s*, the symbol of *s*attva-guṇa**, are Vaiṣṇavas, devotees of Lord Viṣṇu. Formerly, in each and every home of a *brāhmaṇa* there was Viṣṇu worship. A *brāhmaṇa* cannot worship any demigod. He must worship Viṣṇu because Viṣṇu is the in-charge of the *s*attva-guṇa**, and the *brāhmaṇa* is in the *s*attva-guṇa**. For this reason a *brāhmaṇa* is called a Vaiṣṇava—*brāhmaṇa* Vaiṣṇava or *brāhmaṇa*-paṇḍita. On account of the three *guṇas* there are three types of Vedic literature. Specifically the *smṛti*, or the *Purāṇas*, are divided into three divisions: sāttvika *Purāṇas* (mode of goodness), *rājasika* *Purāṇas* (mode of passion), and tāmasika *Purāṇas* (mode of ignorance). *Śiva Purāṇa* and *Devī Purāṇa* are *rājasika*. *Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa*, *Viṣṇu Purāṇa*, and *Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Purāṇa* are sāttvika *Purāṇas*. The whole scheme is that everyone, every living entity within this material world, is infected. That we have discussed. The most inferior infection is *rajas-tamas*. And the superior is *sattva-guṇa*. That is also an infection, but it is less harmful, whereas the infection of *rajo-guṇa* and *tamo-guṇa* is very harmful. The whole material world is going on, impelled generally by *rajo-guṇa* and *tamo-guṇa*. *Sattva-guṇa* is very little. Especially in this age, practically there is no *sattva-guṇa*. *Rajo-guṇa* is also very little. *Tamo-guṇa* is predominant. For this reason the *śāstra*, the Vedic scripture, says that because there is scarcity of *sattva-guṇa* and *rajo-guṇa* in this age, most people are *śūdras*. That means they generally have low qualities. The activities prescribed for *brāhmaṇas* and *kṣatriyas*, rulers, are practically nil. For example, there is no protector. *Kṣatriya* means one who protects people from being injured. Previously the *kṣatriya* class was royal families, the *brāhmaṇas* were meant for giving spiritual education, and the *vaiśyas* were meant for trading, agriculture, and cow protection. As the *kṣatriya*s were entrusted for protecting the citizens, similarly the *vaiśyas* were entrusted for protecting the cows. As Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (18.44), *kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam*: “Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the *vaiśyas*.” Now *vaiśyas* have got big, big factories. They can maintain big, big factories, but they cannot maintain a cow. That is the position. Similarly, *kṣatriyas* have taken different occupational duties. *Brāhmaṇas* also have left their occupation. Everyone has come to the platform of *śūdras*. Therefore it is very difficult to convince them about spiritual life. *Less Intelligent* Mostly people are *śūdras*, which means that they are less intelligent. “Less intelligent” means a *mūḍha*, someone who cannot understand spiritual ideas. The symbol of the less intelligent person is the ass, also called a *mūḍha*. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described the **karmī*s*, fruitive workers, as *mūḍha*s because they work very hard. Although the necessities of life are very few, still the **karmī*s* work very hard day and night for them. The ass is the symbol of the less intelligent *karmī* because the ass eats only a morsel of grass but for the washerman he works so hard carrying heavy loads of cloth. Because the people are *mūḍhas*, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, > na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ > prapadyante narādhamāḥ > māyayāpahṛta-jñānā > āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ “Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.” (*Gītā* 7.15) The three *guṇas*—*sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa*—have been going on since the creation. Here it is said, *sthity-ādaye hari-viriṣci-hareti saṁjṣāḥ*. The same Lord—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu—has expanded Himself as Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. We are also expansions of the Supreme Lord. Like us, Brahmā is in the category of *jīva-tattva*, the infinitesimal spirit souls. Lord Viṣṇu is *viṣṇu-tattva*. Lord Śiva is between *viṣṇu-tattva* and *jīva-tattva*. They are all expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To control these three *guṇas*, they have taken charge. Viṣṇu is in charge of *sattva-guṇa*, Brahmā is in charge of *rajo-guṇa,* and Śiva is in charge of *tamo-guṇa*. Lord Brahmā creates, Lord Viṣṇu maintains, and Lord Śiva destroys. These three things are going on: *sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya*, creation, maintenance, and destruction. *Solving Our Real Problems* *Śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ.* Now, for solving our problems . . . What is our problem? That we do not know. There is a great problem. The problem is the repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the problem. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (13.9), *janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam*: Real knowledge includes perception of the evil of birth, death, old age, and disease. Those who are intelligent will see that these are the real problems. But people do not care. They think, “All right, it is coming naturally. Let us die.” But they do not know where they are going after death. “Never mind. I shall forget.” People say like that. In Western countries, when I speak I raise these questions, and people are so callous they say, “Never mind if I become a dog next time. What is the harm? I’ll forget that I was a man.” Plainly they say that. So many people have gone so far down that they cannot understand that low-grade life is not desirable and high-grade life is desirable. They do not make any distinction. In whatever life it may be, if there is sufficient arrangement for eating, sleeping, and mating, then they are happy. By God’s grace, nature has sufficiently given opportunity for enjoying these things: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. The monkeys we see here have got enough facility for eating, sleeping, and mating. Especially for mating they have got very good facility. Beginning from the morning, they are going on in sex matters. And defending also—they have got nails and teeth. These necessities of life can be obtained in any form of life. There is no scarcity. But the human form of life, if it is wasted only for these facilities of life—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—then what is the credit of getting a human form of life? The *śāstra* therefore says that in the human form of life one should try to achieve that perfection which was not obtained in previous lives after wandering to heaven and hell and through all species of life. And we are wandering: sometimes downwards, sometimes upwards, sometimes poor, sometimes rich, sometimes man, sometimes dog, sometimes tree, sometimes demigod. In this way we are wandering. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, > brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva > guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja “According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.” (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā* 19.151) We are wandering in this way in different species of life, in different planets, but somehow or other, if one is fortunate, he comes in contact with a devotee by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. *Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.* *The Ultimate Success* Here also it is said, **śreyāṁsi* tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ*. If we want our ultimate goal, ultimate success, then we should accept the *sattva-guṇa* form of the Lord. The *rajo-guṇa* form and *tamo-guṇa* form are there, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. But *śreyāṁsi*—if we want our real benefit of life, then it is better to take shelter of the form of *sattva-guṇa*. That will be explained in the next verse: *pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ*. From the earth the tree grows. The tree is wood. Now, if you ignite the wood, first of all there is smoke, and then there is fire. My necessity is fire—not the wood or the earth or the smoke. Similarly, for getting out of these material clutches one has to take shelter of Viṣṇu, not of Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva. There are many different demigods. Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, so many. The chiefs of them are Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva is therefore called Mahādeva. He is above all these demigods. And Lord Brahmā is called Pitāmaha. Pitāmaha means he’s the father of all the demigods. He’s the father of Lord Śiva also. If we really want salvation, freedom from these clutches of *māyā*, how to do that is explained in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (7.14): > daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī > mama māyā duratyayā > mām eva ye prapadyante > māyām etāṁ taranti te “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” This *māyā* is very, very hard to pass over. *Duratyayā.* The only means is *mām eva ye prapadyante*, surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. This is the version of the *Bhagavad-gītā*. Here the same thing is confirmed: *śreyāṁsi*, “ultimate benefit.” If you want the ultimate goal—which means to get free from the conditional life, the repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease—then you have to take shelter of Lord Viṣṇu. But people do not know that. For temporary benefit they go to worship demigods. But that is not their ultimate goal. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, *alpavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām*: “Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary.” (*Gītā* 7.23) If you take any benediction from the demigods, that is *antavat*, perishable. That will be finished. That is temporary. One of Lord Śiva’s names is Āśutoṣa, which means that he’s very quickly pleased to offer benedictions. Therefore generally people go to Āśutoṣa, Lord Śiva. He does not consider their qualifications. If you can please him, you can take any kind of benediction from him. He’ll be ready: “All right, take it.” He wants to avoid botheration. So when his devotee comes to bother Lord Śiva, just to get that person out he says, “All right, whatever you like, take it and go away.” [*Chuckles.*] Therefore his name is Āśutoṣa. People take the shelter of Āśutoṣa, Lord Śiva, for a quick result. Lord Brahmā is also like that. But Lord Viṣṇu is not like that. If you want something extraordinary from Lord Viṣṇu, it is not possible. He’ll not give it. *Take Shelter of Viṣṇu* So here it is indicated: *śreyāṁsi*. If you want your ultimate goal, then take shelter of Viṣṇu, the Lord of *sattva-guṇa*. Then you’ll be benefited. Not by others. But we are generally influenced by *rajo-guṇa* and *tamo-guṇa*, lust and greediness. We are of lost intelligence, influenced by lust and greediness, and therefore we take shelter of demigods. *Alpa-medhasām* means that people do not know their true benefit. Suppose I take some material benefit. Every material benefit is temporary. Whatever benefits we have in this life, as soon as this body’s finished all our benefits are finished. Then we’ll have to take another body, which may not even be a human body. Sometimes we are too attached to a present possession, and we may remain in possession of it in our next life, but we may then be in a different form, not a human form. By karma we take birth in various forms of life. There are many Paurāṇic incidents showing that the proprietor of the house, after death, remains in that house as a serpent, or sometimes as a dog, sometimes as a tree. Being too attached to the possession, he could not get a better life after death. And sometimes we can get the body of a hog or a monkey in Vrindavan. This is all a great science one has to learn—how the transformation of the body takes place, how our attachment acts in that way. That is a great science. Unfortunately, there is no educational system to teach this science; neither do people know the process of transmigration of the soul. Everyone is in ignorance. Neither are they interested to take knowledge from the Vedic scripture. Everything is described there. *The Ultimate Knowledge* *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is the ultimate knowledge. *Vidyā-bhāgavatāvadhi.* If one wants to be educated, he has to come to the limit of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*. All the sublime information is there. If we take the instruction of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* as it is indicated, every one of us should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The original Viṣṇu is Lord Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, > sarva-dharmān parityajya > mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja > ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo > mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (*Gītā* 18.66) The purpose of all Vedic knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa, and as soon as we understand Kṛṣṇa, then, Kṛṣṇa says, *tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti*: upon leaving the body, we do not take birth again in this material world, but attain Kṛṣṇa’s abode (*Gītā* 4.9). If we want to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease, then we must take shelter of Lord Viṣṇu. And Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all *viṣṇu-tattva* expansions. That means we must become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is our highest benefit of life. Thank you very much. “Jesus Christ Did Not Die” Here we conclude an exchange that took place in Paris on June 15, 1974, between Śrīla Prabhupāda, two priests, and two Christian scholars. Madame Siaude: As you say, since Lord Jesus is the son of God, his body is spiritual. But because Jesus wanted to take part in the life of the human beings on earth, we think he actually accepted a material body. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Why do you speculate that Jesus accepted a material body? Madame Siaude: We have prayers that say Jesus underwent suffering and death. Śrīla Prabhupāda: But that is a so-called death. In your mind you think, you speculate, that he died. But he resurrected. Madame Siaude: But the Gospel says that he died. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That’s all right. Madame Siaude: Just as you accept—totally—the word as found in the *Vedas*, so we accept—totally—the word as found in the Bible. Śrīla Prabhupāda: But when the Bible speaks of Jesus, “died” simply means something resembling death. *Janma karma ca me divyam*: In *Bhagavad-gītā* Lord Kṛṣṇa explains that the birth, activities, and disappearance of Himself and His pure devotees are all transcendental. Just take, for example, Christ’s “birth” from the womb of Mary. It may appear like an ordinary material birth, but actually it is not. It is something resembling birth, but in reality it is transcendental. Madame Siaude: No. It is very important that we understand the death of Christ to be a real death. The central point of our faith and our philosophy is that Lord Jesus actually died. Śrīla Prabhupāda: No. The Vedic literature explains that even an ordinary living being does not die. *Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre.* Do you understand Sanskrit? Madame Siaude: Not by hearing it. I have to read it. Śrīla Prabhupāda: *Na hanyate*: “The soul is never killed.” And *hanyamāne śarīre*: “Even when the body dies, the soul is never dead.” Father Canivez: Your Divine Grace, in order for there to be dialogue, we have to respect one another’s positions—not that we will try to convert the others. Just as we respect your absolute faith in the Vedic philosophy, so also there must be respect about our Christian interpretation of the life of Lord Jesus and his death. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Oh, I have more respect for Jesus Christ than you have. I say, “Jesus does not die.” You say, “Jesus dies.” As far as respect is concerned, I have more respect than you. You want to see Jesus Christ dead. I don’t want to see him dead. Madame Siaude: Jesus dies, but after, there is his resurrection. Śrīla Prabhupāda: No death. Recently, there was an archaeological excavation that demonstrated that Jesus Christ did not die. After the crucifixion, he was taken to Kashmir. Madame Siaude: Well, we are not so much inclined to discuss such historical matters. Śrīla Prabhupāda: I was very much pleased to hear this information, because I had been very sorry that Jesus Christ was crucified. So when I learned of this scientific discovery, I was very satisfied. Father Canivez: Your Divine Grace, I was at your conference last night, and I heard you declare that human life is meant for knowing God. So, what is your process for coming to know God? Śrīla Prabhupāda: That is very simple. Just take, for example, your body. You, the soul, are the important, active principle. Similarly, this gigantic cosmic manifestation must have some active principle. That is God. So where is the difficulty in understanding God? Father Canivez: For example, in your prayers, how do you . . . Śrīla Prabhupāda: Now, first of all let us understand what God is, then prayer. If we do not understand God, then what will we understand about prayer? If you understand that there is the active principle, then you can understand the prayer that we have already cited from the beginning of *Śrīmad-Bhagavatam*: *janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijṣaḥ svarāṭ—*”I pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva, who is the origin of all creation.” This is the active principle. So the process is that I offer all my respect to the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Truth, from whom the creation has taken place, in whom everything is resting and working nicely, and to whom, after annihilation, everything will return. And when you study what are the nature and activities of that original source, the Vedic literature further informs you, *abhijṣaḥ*: He is all-cognizant; He knows everything. For instance, although I, the soul within this body, am cognizant of this body, still I do not know how the body is working. I am eating, but I do not know how my eatables transform into secretions and then go to the heart, and so forth. Of course, the so-called scientists have understood somewhat, but not fully. So I do not know what is going on within my body. I do not know how many hairs are there. But God knows everything, every nook and corner of the whole universe. So we cannot compare ourselves to God. That is impossible. But still, since we are forced to get knowledge from others, we may naturally question, “From whom has God gotten His knowledge?” Therefore, the Vedic literature also declares, *svarāṭ*: “God hasn’t got to take knowledge from anyone else—He’s independently full of knowledge.” In addition, God imparted knowledge to Brahmā, the first created being in the universe. That knowledge is called Vedic knowledge. In other words, Vedic knowledge is coming directly from God. Then it is being distributed through Brahmā. And God is so mysterious that even learned scholars become bewildered in their attempt to understand Him. And although this material world is a temporary phantasmagoria, it appears to be fact—on account of its being the energy of God. Madame Siaude: Your Divine Grace, as I recall from reading some of the Vedic literature, God is known as *antaryāmi*, “the witness within the heart.” Does this mean that we can have a direct experience of God, in addition to what we experience in the scriptures? Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. That direct experience of God is the practice of yoga. Madame Siaude: I guess if you strive for *prapati*, or surrender, this is a way to God directly. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the real process. Madame Siaude: But is surrender different from yoga? Śrīla Prabhupāda: No. Surrender is *bhakti-yoga*. *Bhakti*, devotion to God. Madame Siaude: But I was thinking surrender is something different from *bhakti*. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Surrender is *bhakti-yoga*. Madame Siaude: You take surrender to be *bhakti*? Śrīla Prabhupāda: *Bhakti*, devotion, yes. Surrender means devotion. For instance, I can surrender unto you only when I have got full faith in you and devotion unto you. Otherwise, I cannot. So *bhakti-yoga* is wanted. If we simply devote ourselves to God, then everything is complete. Therefore, in *Bhagavad-gītā* Lord Kṛṣṇa describes *prapati*, or surrender. *Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate*: “After many, many lifetimes of endeavoring to understand God through mental speculation, when one is actually wise he surrenders unto Me.” And in the next line Kṛṣṇa says, *vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa *mahātmā* sudurlabhaḥ*: “When one understands that Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa, is everything, then his knowledge is perfect. But such a *mahātmā*—such a great soul—is very rare to be seen.” Strive to Become a Parantapa By Brajanātha Dāsa *Like Arjuna, we too can conqueror life’s adversities by accepting Lord Kṛṣṇa’s perfect guidance.* In this world, we can be relatively peaceful in many ways but we can never be absolutely peaceful despite our efforts. Absolute peace remains elusive due to the presence of anxieties that surround us. The uncertainty of an impending attack, disaster, or pandemic is a constant reminder of this fact. Moreover, concerns about global warming, economic recession, and the rapid depletion of vital resources such as oil and water add to our anxiety. Even in moments of tranquility, a lingering unease persists, an awareness deep down that this peace is only temporary. People resort to various means, such as drinking or gambling, in an attempt to alleviate their anxieties. However, no material approach provides genuine and lasting relief. In some instances, the very techniques become the cause of the anxiety. We should comprehend, however, that anxiety itself is not inherently negative. Rather, it serves as nature’s warning signal, indicating the need for adjustments in our mindset and consciousness. It can be likened to the warning light in a car, which signifies a need for maintenance to ensure the vehicle’s well-being. To tune up your car, visit a mechanic. To tune up your consciousness, seek a spiritual master. Lord Kṛṣṇa explains in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (16.11–12) that materialists expose themselves to untold fears until the moment of death. When we integrate and apply the teachings of the Lord in the *Gītā*, we can alleviate our fears. The fundamental insight of the *Gītā* is that we are indestructible spiritual beings. The world is overseen by the Lord, who orchestrates things for our well-being. He will provide supreme comfort and strength, enabling us to tolerate and transcend our anxieties. When we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, our life journey changes into an adventure of ever greater wisdom. This was demonstrated by Arjuna in the Battle of Kurukshetra. *Arjuna, Chastiser of the Enemy* Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna by various names in the *Gītā*, one of which is *Para*n*tapa*, or “chastiser of the enemy.” *Para*, meaning “other,” in the context of war refers to the enemy; *tapa*, which can mean “heat,” implies causing pain or trouble. In a broad sense, the name *Para*n*tapa* refers to someone who conquers adversity, including that coming from one’s own lower nature. On a chariot bearing a flag marked with Hanumān—a chariot driven by Kṛṣṇa and drawn by white horses—Arjuna entered the Kurukshetra battlefield with a fighting spirit. The leaders of both armies blew their conch shells to indicate the start of the battle. But Arjuna wanted to see the opposing combatants and asked Kṛṣṇa to maneuver the chariot between the two armies. Arjuna already knew who all the leading participants in the battle were; his desire to see them was due to bewilderment caused by Kṛṣṇa’s desire to deliver the message of the *Bhagavad-gītā* through him. Arjuna loved, respected, and revered many in the Kuru army. And just before the battle, he didn’t see them as accomplices of evil-minded Duryodhana but rather as friends and relatives. He told Kṛṣṇa, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up.” (*Gītā* 1.28) The Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas both belonged to the Kuru dynasty. Although Dhṛtarāṣṭrā’s actions caused their separation, Arjuna still considered them all one family. Arjuna felt compassion for the soldiers of both parties and, to justify not fighting, presented a number of arguments rooted in knowledge of religious principles. Arjuna feared loss of life. He became so impatient that his famous bow, Gāṇḍīva, slipped from his hands, and because his heart was burning within him, his skin was hot. As Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, these symptoms were due to his being in a material conception of life. Arjuna understood that behind his perplexities were his love for his relatives and his desire to protect them. Despite understanding that he had a duty to fight, however, he felt unable to carry out the task. He had arrived at the battlefield with his Gāṇḍīva bow to serve Kṛṣṇa, but his determination was weakened by material family affection. This weakness disconnected him from Kṛṣṇa. The same thing happens to us when we look upon this material world and rely solely on our own reasoning. We get doubts. Does God exists? Does God care? Why should I serve God? In fact, the only purpose of our existence is to lovingly serve Kṛṣṇa. Service to Him is our constitutional position, our real dharma. *Ethical Dilemma* Arjuna was in an irresolvable ethical dilemma, internally battling with his love and affection for the very same people he aimed to destroy. Suffering from a conflict between his gratitude toward them and his allegiance to his *dharma*—his occupational duty as a *kṣatriya* to fight for his kingdom’s protection—Arjuna failed to see things as they are and lost his determination to fight. That determination had initially brought him to the Kurukshetra battlefield, but he broke down emotionally, overwhelmed with grief due to affection for family and friends, particularly for Bhīṣma and Droṇa, whom he adored more than his own life. His mind depressed and his eyes full of tears, Arjuna turned to Kṛṣṇa for help, surrendering to Him: “Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” (*Gītā*: 2.7) Kṛṣṇa could simply have ordered Arjuna to fight, but He wanted to address the root cause of Arjuna’s consternation—his failure to see things in the proper spiritual perspective. He wanted to enlighten Arjuna to perform his duty without attachments. Arjuna’s refusal to fight was due to considering himself the absolute doer of his actions. He had taken the Supreme Controller, Kṛṣṇa, out of the picture. Kṛṣṇa smiled at Arjuna and poked fun at his foolish moroseness, questioning how such thoughts could come from someone of his status. He then began the teachings of the *Bhagavad-gītā,* lifting Arjuna out of his internal battlefield and the bodily platform. *Kṛṣṇa as Janārdana* While debating Kṛṣṇa before surrendering to Him for instruction, Arjuna had several times addressed Him as Janārdana, one meaning of which is “killer of the enemy.” Arjuna thus indirectly requested the Lord, “Why don’t You kill them?” Kṛṣṇa did not need Arjuna’s fighting prowess to win the Kurukshetra battle. The Kaurava army was destined to die because they had offended Kṛṣṇa’s devotees the Pāṇḍavas and Draupadī. Kṛṣṇa does not mind if someone offends Him. He even allows people to deny His existence. As the Supersoul in their heart, he never abandons them. But He does not tolerate offenses against His devotees. Kṛṣṇa erased Arjuna’s ignorance by educating him on the meaning of life and the necessity of carrying out duties with a complete awareness of Him. Doing so-called practical things in the material world can eat away our determination, whereas hearing from a bona fide authority revives and nourishes our determination. At the beginning of the *Gītā*, Arjuna was in an indecisive stage (*dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ*, 2.7), but at the end of the *Gītā*, he was intellectually enlightened, spiritually strengthened, and emotionally enlivened. He was firm in his resolve, free from doubt, and prepared to act according to Kṛṣṇa’s instructions (*kariṣye vacanaṁ tava*, 18.73). He returned to the battlefield with a raised bow. His warrior’s passion became a transcendental passion because he was fighting for Kṛṣṇa. He fought with enthusiasm and won the battle. The *Bhagavad-gītā* restores our determination to serve Kṛṣṇa and makes us understand that Kṛṣṇa is our greatest well-wisher. We learn that by service to Him, our best interest will be served even if we don’t understand it right now. The *Bhagavad-gītā* restores our faith, gives us enthusiasm, and brings us back to life—to live in such a way that we can live forever with Kṛṣṇa after death. The *Bhagavad-gītā* inspired Arjuna to fight in the war, to perform his duties after it, and finally to renounce the world. It teaches us to always follow Lord Kṛṣṇa’s instructions. Though it was spoken in the context of war, it’s not about violence. Out of seven hundred verses, only a few are about preparing for battle. The rest of the *Gītā* explains how to live in this world and eventually leave it in consciousness of Kṛṣṇa. *Divine Solutions* In our daily lives, we come across bewildering situations while performing our duties. When making critical decisions, especially those that affect our loved ones, we may feel conflicted. How do we deal with those situations? Even though there is no specific formula to handle them, there is no reason to remain bewildered. We can get answers by seeking advice from our spiritual master or other devotees who can provide valuable insights and guidance from a different perspective. Divine grace comes to us in many forms, and the ways it calls out to each of us will be distinctly related to our degree of surrender to and faith in the Lord, who is in our hearts as the Paramātmā. He accompanies us in this material existence, waiting for that moment when we finally decide to turn toward Him. Instead of taking dictation from our mind, we must fully surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of His empowered representative, the bona fide spiritual master. In this way, through a gradual process of purification, we will eventually reach the stage where we can clearly hear the instructions of the Lord from within our heart at every moment. He gives the intelligence to see the solutions to our problems and the strength to carry them out. When Kṛṣṇa says, “I give the intelligence by which they can come to Me” (*Gītā* 10.10), He is saying that He Himself mentors and converses with His devotees. That is Kṛṣṇa’s mercy upon them. Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke 574 verses in the *Bhagavad-gītā*. They solve all the material problems of unsatisfied and bewildered hearts by showing everyone how to become internally renounced and attached to Kṛṣṇa. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa guides everyone on how to be victorious in life. Arjuna is one example. The *Bhagavad-gītā*’s wisdom elevated Arjuna from a person overcome by weakness of heart to a Parantapa, a conqueror. Similarly, if we embrace the *Gītā’s* wisdom like Arjuna, we too will become Parantapas in the face of life’s anxieties and adversities. Brajanātha Dāsa, PhD, and his wife, Suvarṇa Rādhā Devī Dāsī, PhD, both disciples of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, live in Longmont, Colorado, with their two daughters. They are active in book distribution and in serving Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda at ISKCON Denver. The author acknowledges that much of this article is based on material from the website gitadaily.com, by Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa. Some of the content was presented directly along with the author's reflections. The Significance of the Universal Form by Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa *An examination of six points regarding Lord Kṛṣṇa’s divine display.* The universal form is an intriguing revelation in the *Bhagavad-gītā’s* Eleventh Chapter. To understand the universal form fully, we need to consider what is special or significant about it. Let’s look at six of its aspects. *1 The Unprecedented Revelation* In the Eleventh Chapter, Kṛṣṇa states twice that His revelation of the universal form is unprecedented (11.6: *adṛṣṭa-pūrvāṇi*; 11.47: *na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam*). Arjuna too confirms this (11.45: *adṛṣṭa-pūrvam*). These repeated assertions raise a question: Kṛṣṇa had shown the universal form earlier, so why is this revelation considered unprecedented? To answer, let’s consider the previous revelations. In His childhood, Kṛṣṇa showed the universal form to His mother, Yaśodā. And a few weeks before the Kurukshetra war, He showed it to Duryodhana. Though both these revelations are called the universal form, they were slightly different. To His mother, Kṛṣṇa showed how the entire universe was contained in His mouth. To Duryodhana, He showed the size and might of the form that the Kuru prince had foolishly tried to arrest: in that form were the mighty *devatās* who are cosmic guardians—with the five Pāṇḍavas among their ranks. This revelation was meant to send a strong deterrent message to Duryodhana, who unfortunately was too obstinate to learn. Among these two revelations, the revelation to Duryodhana was closer to what was shown to Arjuna. Still, Arjuna was shown something extra: the *kāla-rūpa*, the form of destructive time. This bonus revelation provided Arjuna a sneak peek at the future; he could see that the warriors assembled on the Kurukshetra battlefield were all destined to die due to their own past misdeeds. The underlying message was that Arjuna couldn’t change their destiny by abstaining from fighting; better that he do his duty and get the credit for being a worthy instrument of the divine will (11.33). Because Arjuna, unlike Duryodhana, was ready to learn, Kṛṣṇa’s revelation to him had the intended effect (18.73). Kṛṣṇa’s revelation of the universal form to Arjuna was unprecedented because Kṛṣṇa’s previous revelations hadn’t included His *kāla-rūpa*. *2 Why the Bonus Revelation?* When Arjuna asks Kṛṣṇa to display the universal form, Kṛṣṇa obliges, but also displays something extra: His form as time. Why this bonus revelation? Because Kṛṣṇa is always conscious of the original purpose of their discussion: to resolve Arjuna’s dilemma about whether to fight or not. Therefore, whichever subject He may be contextually addressing, He expertly reorients the discussion toward that purpose. In this context, Kṛṣṇa goes beyond addressing Arjuna’s specific request to be shown the universal form—He also shows an aspect of that form which will help Arjuna make a decision. Kṛṣṇa’s form as time, specifically its destructive aspect, emphatically demonstrates to Arjuna a key point: The opposing Kauravas were doomed to death because of their many misdeeds, as were those who had chosen to be allied with them. Even if Arjuna chose not to fight, he couldn’t save them from their due karmic reactions. Kṛṣṇa hints at this point by using the word *ṛte*, which can mean both “except” and “without.” The former meaning indicates that Arjuna would be exempt from the destruction wrought by time on the battlefield, whereas the latter meaning indicates that time would bring about the destruction even without Arjuna’s participation. If he participated, he would do his social and spiritual duty, thus being glorified and elevated. Kṛṣṇa had hinted at this bonus revelation when describing what He was going to show: “I will show you something that has never been shown before.” By thus giving an unsought bonus revelation of His manifestation of time, Kṛṣṇa offers Arjuna complete guidance, providing him not just what he had asked for, but also what he needed but hadn’t known enough to ask about. *3 Why the Ghastliness of the Form?* In the *Bhagavad-gītā*, the universal form is shown to be devouring the major warriors assembled on the battlefield. Why is the form so ghastly? Why is it considered divine? Is it meant to depict a form of divine cannibalism? Let’s address these questions one by one. *The ghastliness of the universal form.* The universal form depicts the complete reality of the universe. And this complete reality includes death. While the event of death can sometimes be peaceful, the fact of death itself is nonetheless harsh. The universal form offers an unvarnished vision of this reality, hence its ghastliness. *The divinity of the universal form.* No matter how powerful anyone might become, death eventually triumphs over everyone. Therefore death is considered to be almighty or, more specifically, a manifestation of the almighty reality: the supreme divinity. Just as the sight of the ghastly aspect of the universal form impels Arjuna to seek a vision of a more affectionate form of the Divine, an unflinching look at the unappealable finality of death can impel us to ponder higher realities, culminating in the supreme reality. *The symbolism of the universal form.* To equate the ghastliness of the universal form with cannibalism is to take literalism to such an extreme as to render a profound reality perverse. What is that profound reality? Depicting the inevitable end of the physical body as it succumbs to death. In the Vedic tradition, the dead body is cremated, with the sacred fire offering the soul a gateway to transition to another reality. For onlookers, cremation provides a graphic reminder of the irreversible temporality of the body and the brutal finality of death. The fire emanating from the mouth of the universal form that consumes the assembled warriors depicts such a cremation. Thus the ghastly aspect of the universal form depicts the harsh reality of death, impels us to think of higher reality, and replicates the cremation that consumes the physical body. *4 Demonstrating the Gītā’s Teachings* The revelation of the universal form is the most dramatic event in the *Bhagavad-gītā’s* narrative. Why is this dramatic revelation present in a philosophical book like the *Gītā*? It serves to illustrate the *Gītā*’s teachings, based on both the immediate context and the broader context. *Immediate context.* In the *Gītā* chapters before the chapter on the universal form (namely, Chapters Nine and Ten), Kṛṣṇa has explained His mysterious relationship with the material world. The most direct assertion of this mystery occurs in Chapter Nine, where Kṛṣṇa elaborates on that relationship using twin statements that seem directly contradictory: He sustains the world (9.4), and He doesn’t sustain the world (9.5). Such is His mystical opulence (9.5: *yogam-aiśvaram*). In that chapter and especially in the next chapter, Kṛṣṇa explains through philosophical analysis and cosmic examples how He sustains everything in existence (10.42). Arjuna requests Kṛṣṇa to reveal that opulence of His (*rūpam-aiśvaram*), and Kṛṣṇa responds by showing the universal form. *Broader context.* In its Fourth Chapter, the *Gītā* has dramatically expanded the scope of the concept of *yajña* (fire sacrifice) by stating how a wide gamut of human activities can be conducted in a mood of sacrifice. The implication is that Arjuna can see the battle at Kurukshetra as a sacrifice, with those propagating or supporting *adharma* being the oblation and Arjuna being the priest offering that oblation. As such a sacrificial image might be unusual for Arjuna and he might hesitate to play his part in it, the universal form demonstrates the fulfillment of that sacrifice through its time aspect (*kāla-rūpa*). The revelation of the Kaurava warriors entering the fiery mouth of the universal form demonstrates that this sacrifice is being accepted by the divine. Hence the concluding call to Arjuna to do his part. Thus the universal form is revealed to manifest Kṛṣṇa’s opulence and persuade Arjuna to do his duty in a sacrificial mood. *5 The Two Metaphors* Kṛṣṇa describes the death of the assembled warriors using two metaphors: they are like rivers entering an ocean (11.28) and like moths entering fire (11.29). *Gītā* commentators, such as Viśvanātha Cakravartī, explain that these two metaphors refer to two distinct modes of death: circumstantial and volitional. Just as rivers naturally flow toward the ocean, some assembled warriors, such as Bhīṣma, had been pushed by force of circumstances into the war. Unlike rivers, moths move intentionally toward fire, believing it to be enjoyable. Similarly, some warriors, such as Duryodhana, had knowingly caused the war by repeatedly provoking and persecuting the Pāṇḍavas; Duryodhana had believed that the war would grant him unrivaled power and prosperity. Additionally, when moths enter fire, their bodies are destroyed. In contrast, when rivers enter the ocean, their defining component, water, is not destroyed; it continues to exist, just within a larger body of water. Similarly, when materialistic people like Duryodhana die, they suffer terribly, as if their very existence has ended. Why? Because they strongly identify with their bodies; they feel that bodily destruction is like self-annihilation. In contrast, spiritually evolved individuals like Bhīṣma know that their defining essence is their soul; when their body is destroyed, their soul gracefully transits to a higher reality, in greater harmony with the ultimate reality. Moreover, moths flying into a fire don’t do any good for anyone, whereas rivers flowing toward the ocean provide life-nourishing water to everyone living on their banks. Similarly, Duryodhana didn’t do any good for anyone during his lifelong pursuit of the Kuru kingdom, but Bhīṣma was a fount of wisdom for everyone throughout his life. Through these two metaphors, Kṛṣṇa allays Arjuna’s concerns: though Arjuna’s venerable elders, such as Bhīṣma, were fated to die, their death would be far different from that of the likes of Duryodhana. Even if we can’t change the fact of our mortality, we can change how we experience death and how we contribute while alive. *7 The Call for Nonanimosity* The *Bhagavad-gītā* reveals the *kāla-rūpa*, the form of time in its destructive manifestation. Not only did this form depict how almost everyone on the battlefield would be destroyed, but it also called upon Arjuna to assist in that war (11.33). A call such as this can be disconcerting, given that our world is haunted by the specter of violence in the name of religion. Intriguingly though, Kṛṣṇa concludes the Eleventh Chapter by describing how Arjuna (and by implication all of us) can come to Him (11.55). While listing five to-dos, Kṛṣṇa lists one that is striking: be free from animosity toward all living beings. Why striking? Because a common cause for war is animosity, wherein one party hates and wants to eliminate the other party for their many perceived or actual wrongdoings. Arjuna too could have easily dwelt on the many atrocities the opposing Kauravas had perpetrated against his family and taken that as an impetus to fight. Kṛṣṇa categorically tells him to avoid such animosity. Kṛṣṇa’s clear caveat points to the real import of the whole chapter: it is not a call for all of us to fight, as Arjuna is called to do; it is a call to harmonize with Kṛṣṇa, which Arjuna can do in this context by fighting. Such harmonization requires us to free ourselves from emotions that disconnect us from Him—and one such prominent emotion is animosity. Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s well-wisher (5.29), and He wants us all to be similarly disposed, as He will specify in the next chapter (12.13). Why, then, does Kṛṣṇa want Arjuna to fight? Because in that specific situation, the opposing army was adamantly opposed to Kṛṣṇa’s plan to establish dharma for the world’s good. Indeed, Kṛṣṇa’s core call is not to fight, but to become His instrument, which requires freedom from animosity, the cause of most fighting. The revelation of the universal form is meant to reinforce the *Gītā’s* core message. 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”). The Seven Oceans of Lord Kṛṣṇa by Gaurāṅga Darśana Dāsa *We can think of Kṛṣṇa by immersing our minds in seven oceans of His exalted qualities.* The *Bhagavad-gītā* is the greatly enlightening instructions given by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to His dear friend and devotee Arjuna, who was bewildered on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra. The *Gīta* is known for its philosophical depth and practical relevance in day-to-day life. The greatness of the *Bhagavad-gītā* is described in the following verse, attributed to various authors: > sarvopaniṣado gāvo > dogdhā gopāla-nandanaḥ > pārtho vatsaḥ su-dhīr bhoktā > dugdhaṁ gītāmṛtaṁ mahat “This *Gītopaniṣad* (*Bhagavad-gītā*) is just like a cow, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is famous as a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. Arjuna is just like a calf, and learned scholars and pure devotees are to drink the nectarean milk of the *Bhagavad-gītā*.” (*Gīta-dhyānam* 6) *The Condensed Essence of all Scriptures* The *Gītā* is the essence of the *Upaniṣads.* Then what is the essence of the *Bhagavad-gītā*? The *Bhagavad-gītā* consists of eighteen chapters, categorized into three sections—the first six chapters predominantly describe *karma-yoga*, the last six predominantly present *jñāna-yoga,* and the middle six describe *bhakti-yoga*, or pure devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. The middle section is considered the essence of the *Bhagavad-gītā*. The essence of this *bhakti-yoga* section, according to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākūra, is the middle two chapters (the Ninth and Tenth). And the essence of these two chapters is the thirty-fourth verse of the Ninth Chapter, which Lord Kṛṣṇa repeats almost verbatim at the end of the *Gītā* (18.65). > man-manā bhava mad-bhakto > mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru > mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam > ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ Lord Kṛṣṇa said, “Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (*Gītā* 9.34) In this verse Kṛṣṇa emphasizes four ways of connecting with Him. The essence of these ways, or any spiritual rules and regulations, is to always remember Kṛṣṇa (*man-manā*)*—*to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is confirmed in the *Padma Purāṇa* (*Uttara-khaṇḍa* 42.103) and the *Nārada-paṣcarātra* (4.2.23): > smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur > vismartavyo na jātucit > sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur > etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ “Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Lord Viṣṇu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the *śāstras* should be the servants of these two principles.” The essence of all *vidhis* and *niṣedhās*—rules and prohibitions, or do’s and don’ts—is to always think of Kṛṣṇa and never forget Him. The most essential rule is to always remember Kṛṣṇa; the most essential prohibition is to never forget Kṛṣṇa. That’s the essence of *bhakti-yoga*, and the essence of the *Bhagavad-gītā*, *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, and all Vedic scriptures: to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore in the *Bhagavad-gītā* Kṛṣṇa instructs several times that one must always remember Him (e.g., 9.22, 9.34, 12.2, 12.8, 18.65). *Is Thinking of Kṛṣṇa the Same as Being His Devotee?* In verses 9.34 and 18.65, *man-manā* means to always think of Kṛṣṇa, and *bhava mad-bhaktaḥ* means to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Do these two instructions mean the same thing? If someone is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, is that person not a devotee? Is Kṛṣṇa being redundant? No. One can think of Kṛṣṇa constantly without being His devotee. For example, Kaṁsa was always Kṛṣṇa conscious, but with fear in his heart. Hiraṇyakaśipu was always Kṛṣṇa conscious, but with hatred in his heart. Śiśupāla was always Kṛṣṇa conscious, but with envy in his heart. So one can become thoroughly Kṛṣṇa conscious with negative emotions. But Kṛṣṇa’s recommendation in the above verses is to always think of Him with positive emotions such as love, affection, devotion, and gratitude, and not negative emotions. *What Does It Mean to Think of Kṛṣṇa?* While explaining the word *man-manā*, Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya writes, *mayi apāra . . . kāruṇya* *sauśīlya saundarya mādhurya gāmbhīrya audārya vātsalya jaladhau . . . niviṣṭa manā bhava*: “To always think of Kṛṣṇa means to immerse our minds in the seven expansive and deep oceans of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s compassion, good character, beauty, sweetness, gravity, benevolence, and affection.” He is recommending that we contemplate these seven qualities of Kṛṣṇa to follow His instruction of *man-manā*. So now let’s humbly attempt to bathe in these seven oceans of Kṛṣṇa by recollecting His qualities as described in various Vaiṣṇava scriptures. *1. Kāruṇya jaladhi: Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of compassion.* To contemplate this quality, we can meditate on the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa where He exhibited His compassion. For example, although Pūtanā was a witch, a *rākṣasī* (cannibal), and a blood-sucking baby killer, Lord Kṛṣṇa showed her mercy. Although she maliciously intended to kill not only infant Kṛṣṇa but all the newborns in Vrindavan who were less than ten days old, still Kṛṣṇa bestowed upon her the eternal position of His wet nurse, an assistant of mother Yaśodā in the spiritual world. Uddhava appreciates this compassionate spirit of Kṛṣṇa: > aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ > jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī > lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ > kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema “Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than Him [Lord Kṛṣṇa], who granted the position of mother to the she-demon Pūtanā although she was faithless and had prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?” (*Bhāgavatam* 3.2.23) In this way many verses and pastimes describe and exemplify Kṛṣṇa’s compassion (*kāruṇya*). *2. Sauśīlya jaladhi: Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of good character.* Although Kṛṣṇa is the supremely powerful creator and maintainer of the universe, the killer of numerous demons, and the establisher of dharma, still in His human pastimes He is very respectful and humble in front of His parents, teachers, other elders, and *brāhmaṇas*. He bows down in front of His father Vasudeva, mother Devakī, and all her cowives. Kṛṣṇa considers His stepmothers worshipable by Him, like His actual mothers, in front of whom He shows exemplary etiquette. Kṛṣṇa obediently, humbly, and submissively renders service to Sāndīpani Muni, His guru, offering any *guru-dakṣiṇā* (gift to one’s teacher) that Sāndīpani Muni requests. Kṛṣṇa also treats respectfully all the sages and *brāhmaṇas* who visit Him in Dwarka. Although Lord Kṛṣṇa killed Kaṁsa and reinstated Ugrasena as the King of Mathura, He obediently folds His hands and stands submissively before Ugrasena to report to him like a subordinate. These are vivid examples of Kṛṣṇa’s *sauśīlyata*, His exceptional good character. When Lord Caitanya went to Vrindavan, a male parrot named Śuka glorified Lord Kṛṣṇa’s character with the words *śīlaṁ sarva-janānuraṣjanam:* “His spotless qualities are unlimited, and His behavior satisfies everyone.” (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya* 17.210) *3. Saundarya jaladhi: Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of beauty.* The scriptures are filled with descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty. Lord Śiva says that Lord Kṣṛṇa is *sarva saundarya saṅgraham*: the collection of all beauties in all the material and spiritual worlds. (*Bhāgavatam* 4.24.45) The *Veṅkaṭeśa Suprabhātam* describes the Lord as *kandarpa darpa hara sundara divya mūrti*: His beautiful, divine, transcendental form completely steals the pride of Cupid. The *Brahma-saṁhitā* (5.30) says, *kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham*: the Lord’s beauty surpasses the beauty of even ten million Cupids put together. A verse in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s *Padyāvalī* (46) says, “His complexion is the color of a blooming blue lotus, His face is like the moon, He is fond of wearing a peacock-feather crown, He bears the mark of Śrīvatsa, He wears the great Kaustubha gem, He is dressed in yellow garments, and His handsome form is worshiped by the lotus offerings of the *gopīs’* glances. Accompanied by a host of *surabhi* cows and cowherd boys, Govinda is fond of sweetly playing the flute. His divine body is decorated with glittering ornaments. I worship Lord Govinda.” All the *gopīs* of Vrindavan constantly bathe Kṛṣṇa with their loving glances. Just as the *cataka* birds want to drink water that comes directly from the sky and not from any other source, the *gopīs* desire to see only the Vrindavan form of Kṛṣṇa. Whenever Kṛṣṇa comes before the *gopīs*, they stop blinking and just stare at His beauty. They even criticize Brahmā for designing human bodies with only two eyes—and those eyes have eyelids that constantly blink. The *gopīs* feel that even with thousands of eyes, one wouldn’t be able to relish Kṛṣṇa’s beauty completely. To relish the sweetness of sugarcane juice, one must have a body free of jaundice. Similarly, to relish the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, we need a loving heart devoid of malice. We relish Kṛṣṇa’s beauty to the degree to which our consciousness is pure. And the purest consciousness is there in the hearts of the *gopīs* of Vrindavan. Therefore they relish Kṛṣṇa’s beauty more than anyone else could ever do. And among the *gopīs*, the best relisher of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. *4. Mādhurya jaladhi: Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of sweetness.* Numerous verses describe Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness. Śrīpāda Vallabhācārya writes, > adharaṁ madhuraṁ vadanaṁ madhuraṁ > nayanaṁ madhuraṁ hasitaṁ madhuram > hṛdayaṁ madhuraṁ gamanaṁ madhuraṁ > madhurādhi-pater akhilaṁ madhuram “His lips are sweet, His face is sweet, His eyes are sweet, His smile is sweet, His heart is sweet, His gait is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Emperor of Sweetness!” (*Madhurāṣṭakam* 1) Everything connected to Kṛṣṇa is complete sweetness—His names, forms, qualities, pastimes, and so on. Consider the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s holy name. > madhura-madhuram etan maṅgalaṁ maṅgalānāṁ > sakala-nigama-vallī sat-phalaṁ cit-svarūpam > sakṛd api parigītām śraddhayā helayā vā > bhṛguvara nara-mātraṁ tārayet kṛṣṇa-nāma “The chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s name (*harināma*) is the most beneficial of all spiritual and pious activities. It is more relishable than the sweetest honey. It is the transcendental fruit of all the *śruti* scriptures, known as the *Vedas*. O best of the Bhārgavas, if anyone chants *harināma* offenselessly even once, be it with faith or neglectfully, *harināma* immediately offers him liberation.” (*Mahābhārata, Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa*) Many other verses glorify the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s name and attributes. *5. Gāmbhīrya jaladhi: Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of gravity.* Attracted by the devotion of the Pāṇḍavas, Kṛṣṇa played numerous roles, including friend, chariot driver, messenger, and advisor. When Arjuna found himself in a state of utter confusion, Kṛṣṇa assumed a mood of gravity and spoke the profound philosophy of the *Bhagavad-gītā*. Kṛṣṇa’s voice is often said to be as grave as rumbling clouds. When Indra came to beg forgiveness from Kṛṣṇa after offending Him and the residents of Vrindavan by creating a devastating rainfall, Kṛṣṇa gravely cautioned Indra not to be puffed up by his high position but to carry out his service with humility. When Lord Brahmā came to Kṛṣṇa to beg forgiveness for his offense of stealing His friends and calves, Kṛṣṇa assumed a grave mood. Although Brahmā offered many prayers, Kṛṣṇa didn’t reply. Brahmā understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted him to just focus on His service, and so he departed. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura describes in *Navadvīpa-dhāma-māhātmya* that Brahmā later went to Antardwipa in Nabadwip Dhama, performed austerities, and meditated on Kṛṣṇa. In response, Kṛṣṇa appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and blessed Brahmā, telling Brahmā that he would become Haridāsa Ṭhākura during His pastimes as Lord Caitanya. In this way Kṛṣṇa can be very grave in His dealings with His devotees according their moods, deeds, and needs. *6. Audārya jaladhi: Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of benevolence.* Kṛṣṇa’s *audāryata*, or benevolence, is most vividly exhibited in His form as Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He doesn’t discriminate between the qualified and the unqualified, but freely distributes *kṛṣṇa*-*prema*, love of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī writes, > cirād adattaṁ nija-gupta-vittaṁ > sva-prema-nāmāmṛtam aty-udāraḥ > ā-pāmaraṁ yo vitatāra gauraḥ > kṛṣṇo janebhyas tam ahaṁ prapadye “The most munificent Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Gaurakṛṣṇa, distributed to everyone—even the lowest of men—His own confidential treasury in the form of the nectar of love of Himself and the holy name. This was never given to the people at any time before. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.” (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya* 23.1) Because of His extreme benevolence and magnanimity, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave *prema* through *nāma*, His holy name. When we chant *kṛṣṇa*-*nāma*, we get *kṛṣṇa*-*prema*. Once we get *kṛṣṇa*-*prema*, should we give up *kṛṣṇa*-*nāma*? No, we chant *kṛṣṇa*-*nāma* to get *kṛṣṇa*-*prema*, and once we get *kṛṣṇa*-*prema*, we chant *kṛṣṇa*-*nāma* with *kṛṣṇa*-*prema*. As the verse above says, *ā-pāmaraṁ yo vitatāra gauraḥ*, even the most spiritually unqualified persons get access to *kṛṣṇa*-*prema* by Kṛṣṇa’s benevolence in the form of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa is very benevolent, but His devotees are even more so. Therefore when Lord Kṛṣṇa with all His powers appears in the form of a devotee, we can only imagine the degree of benevolence that combination can show. Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead with all His powers, playing the role of a devotee with all benevolence. *7. Vātsalya jaladhi: Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of affection.* An affectionate mother can sacrifice all her comforts to attend to the needs of her child, especially when the child is very young. The Lord’s affection (*vātsalya*) toward all devotees is depicted as surpassing that of ten million mothers combined. Sunīti tells her son Dhruva that Lord Kṛṣṇa can give him the affection of millions of mothers. That’s her realization as a mother. While narrating the pastime of mother Yaśodā’s binding Kṛṣṇa with ropes, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, > evaṁ sandarśitā hy aṅga > hariṇā bhṛtya-vaśyatā > sva-vaśenāpi kṛṣṇena > yasyedaṁ seśvaraṁ vaśe “O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, this entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā and Lord Indra, is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme Lord has one special transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His devotees. This was now exhibited by Kṛṣṇa in this pastime.” (*Bhāgavatam* 10.9.19) During the pastime of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lifting Govardhana Hill, the cowherd men and women address the Lord: > kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bhāga > tvan-nāthaṁ gokulaṁ prabhu > trātum arhasi devān naḥ > kupitād bhakta-vatsala “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, O most fortunate one, please deliver the cows from the wrath of Indra! O Lord, You are so affectionate to Your devotees. Please save us also.” (*Bhāgavatam* 10.25.13) Kṛṣṇa expects us to become *man-manā*, more and more Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore let us try to immerse our minds in the seven oceans of Kṛṣṇa. *Gaurāṅga Darśana Dāsa, 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 thirty-three books, including the Subodhini series of study guides, children’s books such as* Bhāgavatam Tales*, and other self-enrichment books. He conducts online and residential scriptural courses for children and adults.* In Memoriam *His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami* On May 5 this year His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, a senior disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, departed from this world. He was a pillar of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and served tirelessly in many leadership capacities to support and expand the mission of his spiritual master. Before his first meeting with Śrīla Prabhupāda (Montreal, 1968), Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, known as Gopal Krishna from birth, was given the service of cleaning and preparing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s rooms for his arrival. After that, he dedicated his life to keeping Śrīla Prabhupāda’s “house” (ISKCON) in order. Śrīla Prabhupāda immediately took great interest in the thoughtful young Indian man who sat attentively through every lecture, and they began regular correspondence. Soon Śrīla Prabhupāda initiated Gopal Krishna as Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, and thus began a lifetime of dedicated service to his guru and his guru’s mission. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami served for some time as personal secretary to Śrīla Prabhupāda, who appointed him as a Governing Body Commissioner in 1975 with responsibility to oversee all of India. Śrīla Prabhupāda thereafter entrusted him with the task of printing of his transcendental books in India. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami excelled in promoting book distribution, sharing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, building beautiful temples, and managing other aspects of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission, all the while remaining a gentle, humble Vaiṣṇava who always had a moment to encourage others with his genuine care and affection. In addition, his *sādhana*, or daily practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, was impeccable. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami personified all that is at the heart of ISKCON and will ever remain revered and loved for his matchless service, dedication, and expertise in knowing and serving Śrīla Prabhupāda’s will. He always encouraged the members of ISKCON to work together to support and assist each other in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s service. – *Adapted from a letter by ISKCON’s GBC Executive Committee* Repaying an Unpayable Debt By Jagannātha Gopāla Dāsa *What can we do to reciprocate the receipt of life’s greatest gift?* I have vivid memories of attending ceremonies where my father offered oblations (*śrāddha*) to my grandfather on his death anniversary each year, a tradition I continue to follow for my late father. As a child, I would look forward to the delicious multi-course meal after the ceremony. As I grew up, I would often ponder over the significance of the ritual. After speaking to the priests and friends, I gathered that I owe a debt (*ṛṇa*) to my father (and my forefathers) for bringing me up and giving me a comfortable life. That debt isn’t limited to the time when my father lived but extends beyond his death. One of the ways to repay the debt is through the *śrāddha* ceremony, where one offers *prasādam* (food offered to the Supreme Lord) to the forefathers for smoothening their journey in the nether worlds. Arjuna refers to the *śrāddha* ceremony in the beginning of *Bhagavad-gītā* while trying to justify his desire not to take part in the Kurukshetra war. He mentions that when the offering of oblations to forefathers will stop as a long-term consequence of the war, that will ruin the peace and well-being of the entire society. According to Vedic scriptures, a spirit soul owes a debt not only to his or her parents, but also to relatives, friends, sages, demigods, and other living beings. Since they all facilitate the well-being of the spirit soul in a myriad of ways, the spirit soul has to reciprocate with them. Usually when one borrows something, the debt becomes somewhat of a burden on the debtor, which the debtor has to work hard to repay. While the debt the spirit soul owes may also seem burdensome, its purpose is to take the spirit soul deeper into an important principle: gratitude. Gratitude is a virtue that permeates Vedic thought. It is often misconstrued as a transactional ethic that governs a fruitive mentality—if one wants or already has something of value, one does the needful to please the particular deity responsible for bestowing that thing, thus getting rid of the debt. Gratitude, on the other hand, goes beyond just being in a state of net-zero, where we do not owe anything to anyone, to genuinely appreciating the gifts we’ve received that make life worth living. Rather than a mere act of repayment, gratitude is a state of mind and heart that makes us conscious at every moment of what we have. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “As a rule, every human being is indebted to God, the demigods, great sages, other living entities, people in general, forefathers, etc., for various contributions received from them. Thus everyone is obliged to repay the debt of gratitude.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 3.3.26, Purport) He also writes, “When human society is grateful to the Lord for all His gifts for the maintenance of the living entities, then there is certainly no scarcity or want in society. But when men are unaware of the intrinsic value of such gifts from the Lord, surely they are in want.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 3.5.49, Purport) Gratitude helps us stay grounded in reality about our own position in relation to everyone and everything around us. Even an act like the *śrāddha* ceremony done to repay one’s karmic debt, when infused with gratitude, purifies the heart and makes us more open to appreciate the presence of higher powers in our lives. If we are fortunate to come in contact with a devotee of the Lord, then that awareness matures, and we receive the greatest gift there is—the gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *The Gift of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness* One of the six characteristics of *bhakti**,* or Kṛṣṇa consciousness*,* is *sudurlabha**,* or rarity. Kṛṣṇa mentions in the *Gītā* (9.29) that He is equal to everyone (*samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu*). Thus His mercy is readily available to one and all. If so*,* why is *bhakti* described as being very rare? Because it can be bestowed only by one who already has it and by no other means. Therefore it is said*,* “*Bhakti* comes only from *bhakti*” (bhaktyā saṣjātayā bhaktyā*,* Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.3.31). In His instructions to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Lord Caitanya said, > brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva > guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja “According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.” (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya* 19.151) By the mercy of the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, the spirit soul receives the gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is likened to a seed the *guru* plants in the heart of a disciple that, after being watered by the disciple by sincerely following the instructions given by the *guru*, grows into a big tree. The fruit of that tree is pure, unalloyed love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with byproducts like freedom from lower tendencies and eventual liberation from the pangs of material existence. In this way the spiritual master bestows upon a *jīva* the greatest gift. That gift surpasses any amount of material pleasure and even the pleasure of liberation. How great then is the *ṛṇa*, or debt, the disciple owes to the spiritual master? There is absolutely nothing in the realm of material existence (wealth, comforts, etc.) that can match the grace the spiritual master bestows upon us. Thus, according to scriptures, a disciple should repay the debt to the spiritual master by sincerely attempting to follow the guru’s teachings and helping to spread those teachings to others. In his commentary on *Gītā* 2.41, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura describes the mood of one who possesses such one-pointed intelligence: “The instructions my guru has given me about hearing and chanting about Śrī Bhagavān, remembering Him, serving His lotus feet, etc., are my spiritual practice, my perfection, and my very life.” Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote: A Vaisnava always feels himself incapable to repay his debt to his spiritual master; therefore he works very hard in order to try and repay that debt. He knows that without the mercy of the spiritual master one cannot preach this Krsna consciousness and therefore he always tries to act in such a way that he may please his guru. Please continue in this way and keep very strictly the regulative principles and chanting the prescribed number of rounds on the beads and you will clear the way for success in your preaching work. (Letter, August 9, 1976) *Our Debt to Śrīla Prabhupāda* Śrīla Prabhupāda performed a historic feat when as a 69-year-old holy man he crossed the ocean and started a worldwide movement that transformed the hearts of millions and continues to do so. Śrīla Prabhupāda made his humble beginnings for ISKCON at the storefront at 26 Second Avenue, New York City. The storefront had been a curio shop named Matchless Gifts, and its sign remained after Prabhupāda began his *Gītā* classes there. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is indeed a matchless gift. Aware of the culture of gratitude that encompasses Vedic life, disciples often asked Śrīla Prabhupāda how they could repay him. His standard reply was that they could do so by sharing the gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness with others—in other words, following the example of their guru by doing what he did. Yet Prabhupāda also emphasized time and again that the gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so great and precious that it is practically impossible to repay the spiritual master. He wrote: Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is such a great gift that it is impossible to repay the benefactor. . . . A joker’s activities simply arouse laughter, and a person who tries to repay the spiritual master or teacher of the transcendental message of Kṛṣṇa becomes a laughing stock just like a joker because it is not possible to repay such a debt. The best friend and benefactor of all people is one who awakens humanity to its original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 4.22.47, Purport) Once, when a disciple offered him 108 pounds sterling, Śrīla Prabhupāda replied to her in a letter (July 29, 1976): Actually you are correct; it is not possible for the disciple to repay the debt to the spiritual master. Therefore the disciple remains eternally indebted to the spiritual master and continually works in such a way that the spiritual master may become pleased upon him for such sincere services rendered. Always follow the four principles, take prasadam, and above all chant your sixteen rounds a day, and thus you will make steady advancement. “Remain Always Obliged” If we cannot repay the guru for the gift of *bhakti* we have received, what do we do? This is where the summit of the virtue of gratitude is seen: we eternally remain grateful to the spiritual master. During a lecture in Dallas (March 4, 1975), when asked how we can repay him, Prabhupāda said: “You don't require to repay. [*chuckles*] I am not giving you anything. It is Kṛṣṇa’s property. You repay to Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and He will be repaid. [*break*] Nobody can repay. Therefore it is better to remain always obliged. That’s all. Is that all right? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.” In a letter dated August 14, 1976, addressing his disciples at the ISKCON temple in Los Angeles, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote: If you feel at all indebted to me then you should preach vigorously like me. That is the proper way to repay me. Of course, no one can repay the debt to the spiritual master, but the spiritual master is very much pleased by such an attitude by the disciple. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru nandana, “Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one.” Our only business is to be fixed up in devotional service by pleasing the spiritual master. So can we **sādhaka*s* (spiritual practitioners) repay Śrīla Prabhupāda and—for disciples of his disciples—our own guru for giving us Kṛṣṇa? No and yes. A *sādhaka* cannot repay the guru in the sense of getting rid of the debt. But what we can and must do is express our heartfelt gratitude in the form of following the guru’s instructions and inheriting the guru’s mission of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. That constant gratitude is itself the reciprocation that will please the spiritual master and take the practitioner closer to Kṛṣṇa. Jagannātha Gopāla Dāsa 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. Book Excerpt *World Sankirtana Party Arrives in Calcutta* by Rajasekhara Dasa Brahmachari The people of Calcutta happily welcome Śrīla Prabhupāda’s “dancing white elephants.” *Excerpted from* Calcutta — City of Divine Grace: An Historical Memoir of the Period 1510 to 1977*, by Rajasekhara Dasa Brahmachari. Copyright: © 2023 Vedanta Vision Publications.* This excerpt, taken from Chapter Seven, retains the book’s style for Sanskrit and other considerations. The book is available at amazon.com and rasbiharilal.com. On August 29th, 1970, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada returned to Calcutta for the first time in almost three years. He chose his hometown as the springboard for spreading the Hare Krishna movement in India with the purpose of inundating the subcontinent with the chanting of the holy names of Krishna: *Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare* Shrila Prabhupada was arriving in India with his ‘World Sankirtana Party’ including over forty of his disciples from America. Waiting on the airfield tarmac to greet him were his devoted followers Achyutananda and Jayapataka. As soon as the plane taxied to a halt and passengers began to disembark, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada descended the plane’s stairway. Achyutananda and Jayapataka bowed down before their spiritual master offering their obeisances. Shrila Prabhupada smiled radiantly as he warmly embraced both of them. Shrila Prabhupada was accompanied on the flight from Los Angeles by many of his senior sannyasi disciples who were the core of his World San*kirtana* Party, which would soon capture the attention of the public with their infectious zeal for performing *hari-nama san*kirtana** and propagating Krishna consciousness. From the runway tarmac, Prabhupada was taken in a flower-bedecked car to the airport terminal building where he was ushered into the VIP lounge. A large group of relatives and old friends were there to welcome him along with a large *kirtana* party of *brahmacharis* from the Chaitanya Saraswat Matha who were chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. The reception in the VIP lounge was a truly festive affair, as the large gathering of well-wishers was overjoyed to see Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada once again after so many years. Other passengers in the airport were also swept away by the exuberance of the welcome-home party as everyone chanted the holy names and danced in spiritual bliss. There were also a number of reporters from the local newspapers who were waiting to interview Shrila Prabhupada. As Prabhupada sat down to address the gathering, many came forward to place flower garlands around his neck. In fact, there were so many garlands that Prabhupada had to remove some to make way for others. But the garlands kept coming and were almost completely covering Prabhupada’s face. The sweet fragrance of the jasmine flowers mixed with wafts of exotic incense permeated the airport building. The crowds pressed in closer as many tried to touch Prabhupada’s feet while asking for his blessings. When the **hari-nama* kirtana* came to an end, the crowds sat around as Shrila Prabhupada began to speak. “I am coming back to the city after three years. Hare Krishna. I have been around the world and have found that happiness and peace cannot be established in this world by materialistic advancement. I have seen Japan, which is highly advanced in machines and technology. Yet there is no real happiness there. But the people of India, even if they do not understand the significance of *sankirtana*, they enjoy listening to it. My advice to the Indians is that if you advance only in science and technology, without paying attention to *hari-nama*, then you will remain forever backward. There is tremendous strength in *hari-nama* . . .” Reporter: You have said, and I quote, “Even communism, if it is without Krishna-nama, is void.” Why do you say that? Prabhupada: Why do you refer to communism in particular? Without Krishna consciousness, everything is void. Whatever you do, Krishna must remain in the centre. Whether you are communist or capitalist or anything else—it doesn’t matter. We want to see whether your activities are centred around Krishna. Reporter: Right now, there is too much turmoil in Bengal. What is your advice to us at this time? Prabhupada: My advice is to chant Hare Krishna. This is the piece of advice to both the capitalists and the communists. All animosity between them will cease completely, and all their problems will be solved, if they take this advice. The crowd, affirming Shrila Prabhupada’s words, began to chant in unison, *“Sadhu! Sadhu!”* which in Indian culture is the traditional way of approving a saintly person’s prophetic words. Once the airport reception was over, Prabhupada was escorted to a nearby waiting car and along with three of his disciples, headed to the ISKCON centre on Hindustan Road, where he would reside during his stay in the city. The other devotees who arrived with Prabhupada followed in a cavalcade of vehicles. As Prabhupada looked out from the car windows, familiar scenes of Calcutta passed by. However, for the American devotees who were first-time visitors to the city, Calcutta was very foreign and unfamiliar. The devotees felt the sultry monsoon climate to be almost stifling. Stray cows could be seen loitering everywhere, sometimes lying in the middle of the road, forcing traffic to navigate around them. Sturdy white bullocks pulled heavily loaded carts as barefoot ricksha-pullers, frantically ringing their hand-bells, weaved their way through the congested traffic. The devotees were shocked to see an overcrowded double-decker bus, leaning heavily on one side from the uneven weight caused by passengers clinging on to the sides. Horse-drawn carriages, a throwback from the old Victorian era of British India, rattled by in the opposite direction. The convoy of devotee cars got stuck behind one of Calcutta’s archaic electric trams as it slowly chugged along the rusty rails, forcing traffic to quickly move out of its way. The sidewalks were teeming with people as shops and markets remained open until late at night. The spicy aroma from roadside eateries often wafted into the cars as they drove past. Mangy-looking dogs could be seen fighting for food-scraps in the gutters, as beggars with tattered clothing sat in lines outside temples and mosques, competing for the few paisa that was being offered. Although a familiar scene for Prabhupada, his Western disciples might have thought they were driving through a surrealistic movie-set from the 1920s. It appeared from their surroundings, they had gone back in time a hundred years or more, and were obviously experiencing some degree of culture shock. Tamala Krishna, sitting in the front seat, looked nervously at the driver, as he swerved in and out of traffic while wildly honking his horn. Prabhupada laughed. “Tamala Krishna, how do you like this driving?” It was Tamala Krishna’s first time in Calcutta, whereas Achyutananda and Jayapataka, sitting next to Prabhupada in the back seat, had become acclimatized and had learned to adapt to the city’s unique environment. It was getting close to midnight before Shrila Prabhupada and his party reached the ISKCON centre at 37/1, Hindustan Road. There were many well-wishers waiting to greet him, but his secretary, Devananda Maharaja, thinking that Prabhupada would be tired from the journey and needing to rest, tried to turn them away. Seeing the situation, Prabhupada said, “No, no, let them come in.” Shrila Prabhupada’s sister, Bhavatarini, also arrived carrying an array of traditional Bengali dishes she had cooked. “We can’t eat now,” one of the *sannyasis* protested. “It’s very late at night.” “No,” Prabhupada said, “we must eat everything. Whatever my sister cooks, we have to eat. This is her favorite activity. She likes to cook for me and feed me. Everyone must take *prasadam*.” As Prabhupada and his disciples were honoring the *prasadam* prepared by his sister, some devotees from the Chaitanya Saraswat Matha arrived with a feast they had cooked in honor of Prabhupada’s return to Calcutta, and after taking some of that *prasadam*, Prabhupada induced his disciples and guests to eat sumptuously. This was a special occasion of his homecoming and regardless of the time, everyone should celebrate by partaking of the feast. The day after Shrila Prabhupada’s arrival, the city’s leading newspaper, the *Amrita Bazar Patrika,* carried a front-page story of Prabhupada’s arrival in Calcutta. A photo showed Prabhupada walking with his hand in his bead bag, surrounded by young Western *sannyasis* carrying their *sannyasa-dandas*. The newspaper article stated. “Many VIP’s have come to Dumdum Airport before, but never have we seen such gaiety and celebrations of this magnitude . . . It was difficult to imagine that he was 75 years old, because he was completely fresh after this long journey. With a little smile on his face, he blessed one and all with the word, ‘Hari Bol!’” The news coverage in so many leading newspapers about Shrila Prabhupada’s arrival in Calcutta created an extremely positive impression of the Hare Krishna movement. Everyone was interested in learning more about ISKCON and how Shrila Prabhupada had single-handedly converted the youth of America to become followers of Vaishnava dharma. Shrila Prabhupada had arrived back in Calcutta at a time when the city was facing political turmoil due to the threat posed by the Naxalite movement. This group of radical socialists had been instigating riots in many parts of Bengal. The murder of prominent businessmen was a daily affair and quite a few of them were leaving the city out of fear for their lives. Many guests who met Shrila Prabhupada on his return to the city voiced their concern about the violence and unrest in Calcutta. Prabhupada told them that the only shelter was Krishna. “People are in very much perturbed condition. All of them are expecting me to do something for ameliorating the situation, but I am simply advising them to chant Hare Krishna because this transcendental sound is the only panacea for all material diseases.” Prabhupada saw no need to fabricate a special program for the social problems of Calcutta. Chanting Hare Krishna was “the only panacea for all material diseases.” Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had already envisioned a master-plan for the spiritual rejuvenation of not only Calcutta, but for the whole of the Indian sub-continent. He had come with his leading disciples and many more would be arriving from the West within days. He had ordered lakhs of rupees’ worth of his books and also *Back to Godhead* magazines from the printer, Dai Nippon in Japan. His *sannyasi* disciples would be going out daily into the streets of Calcutta and other major cities of India to perform *kirtana* and distribute these books amongst the people. Prabhupada’s American disciples would now become the medium for presenting Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s divine gift, the holy name of Krishna, the panacea for all material diseases. *East Meets West on Chowringhee* Shrila Prabhupada sent his disciples every day into Calcutta to perform *hari-nama kirtana* and they were getting a very good response from the local people. These same devotees who had been chanting Hare Krishna in the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York were now chanting and dancing along Chowringhee, the Esplanade, and in Dalhousie Square. Large crowds gathered to see the amazing spectacle of shaven-headed Westerners with *shikhas* and *tilaka*, playing *karatalas* and *mridanga* drums, as they danced in ecstasy chanting the holy names: > Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare > Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare For the Bengalis, this was completely sensational, and hundreds would gather every day to watch the Westerners performing *kirtana*. Shrila Prabhupada already knew the great appeal his disciples would have and everyone in Calcutta would want to see them. He therefore affectionately called them his “dancing white elephants.” In ancient India, as well as in other Southeast-Asian countries like Burma and Thailand, the wealth of the king was calculated by how many elephants he owned, and his prestige is increased by the number of white elephants he owned. This was because a white elephant is the rarest amongst all elephants and extremely valuable, and people would flock just to get a glimpse of such a white elephant. Therefore, because large crowds came to see the white-skinned Americans chanting and dancing in the street, Shrila Prabhupada affectionately referred to his disciples as his “dancing white elephants.” Shrila Prabhupada also said that when Indians, who were imitating western culture, see that the Westerners were seriously taking to Krishna consciousness, they would soon realize the value of their own culture. Jayapataka: Prabhupada came from America with his shaven-headed Western disciples with *shikhas* and *tilaka*, and wearing saffron robes and saris. It was a triumphant return. These alien-looking devotees chanted Hare Krishna in the streets with great enthusiasm, like Shri Chaitanya’s followers some 500 years earlier. India had never seen anything like it. Hundreds would gather just to get a glimpse of these Western saints, whom Prabhupada called his “dancing white elephants.” Prabhupada explained to his disciples how formerly, during the time of Maharaja Yudhisthira, India had been a Krishna conscious state. For the last thousand years, however, India had been under foreign subjugation, first under the Mohammedans and then under the British. As a result, the intelligentsia, and to a lesser degree, the masses of India, had lost respect for their own culture. They were now pursuing the materialistic goals of the Western world, which they saw as being more productive than their old religious way of life. The foreign rulers had ridiculed Indian religion as nothing more than sentimentalism based on mythology. Prabhupada knew that when the Indians see that Westerners were living the life of renounced Vaishnavas, strictly following the Vedic principles governing religious life, it could turn their heads and hearts, and in this way, help them regain faith in their own culture. Prabhupada always stressed that his disciples must be pure in their actions and this would be their spiritual force. *On May 13 this year, while this issue of BTG was in the final stages of layout, Rajasekhara Dasa Brahmachari passed away in Sri Mayapur Dhama, surrounded by devotees chanting the holy names. He was initiated by Śrīla Prabhupāda in 1973 at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, outside London. In January 1975 he traveled to Vrindavan, where he became one of the first* pūjārīs *at ISKCON’S newly opened Krishna-Balaram Mandir. During his fifty years in India, he visited every important holy place throughout the country. He was a leading authority on Vrindavan Dhama.* Divine Shelter: The Need to Know It and Attain It by Rukmiṇī Vallabha Dāsa The material world offers countless shelters that promise to fulfill our innate desire for pleasure, but they all must inevitably fail. Pleasure and protection are basic human needs. In fact, the two go together. We seek shelters (protection) that will provide pleasure—shelters such as wealth, career, and family. We find, though, that these offer only limited and temporary results. God’s shelter, however, is beyond all limitations. We are pleasure seeking by nature. We want to experience unending pleasure, and we constantly pursue it by trying different sources of it. For example, to get pleasure, people seek the shelter of a family. Parents work hard to provide for the family and enhance the quality of the pleasure derived from it. They want the pleasure to last indefinitely by protecting the family from internal disturbances and external threats. People also turn to sensuality, social service, and intellectual pursuits as sources of pleasure. *Worldly Shelters* The sources of pleasure in this world are constrained by various limitations—our ability to experience pleasure from any shelter is limited, the amount of pleasure derived from any shelter is limited, the ability of any shelter to offer pleasure is limited, even the life span of any shelter is limited. For example, a mother cannot offer complete protection for her child. She cannot cure all diseases, she cannot offer all types of pleasure, she has limited money and ability, she cannot always be with the child because she has to take care of herself and her relationships, and she’s subject to disease, old age, and eventually death. The shelter of a mother can offer only limited protection and pleasure, both constrained by time, place and, circumstance. Similarly, all material shelters offer only limited pleasure and exist only for a limited time. Although we expend a great deal of time and energy procuring, maintaining, and securing these shelters, our endeavors end up in failure and frustration. Are we forever doomed to fail in our attempts to find lasting shelter? No. But we need to find a shelter beyond this world. *Divine Shelter and Its Features* The *Bhagavad-gītā* (2.17) points out that each of us is constitutionally an eternal spiritual being covered by a temporary material body. The actual pleasure we can experience is also spiritual, not material. Our ability to experience spiritual pleasure is not limited by space and time. It can be experienced by taking shelter of God, Kṛṣṇa, through **bhakti*-yoga*. Kṛṣṇa’s ability to offer us spiritual pleasure is beyond all limitations. *Bhakti-yoga* is based on selfless service to Kṛṣṇa. Since He is unlimited, in *bhakti* there is unlimited scope and variety for eternity. Therefore the pleasure in devotional service is unlimited—ever-increasing and never-ending. Kṛṣṇa’s divine shelter can completely fulfill our innate needs for protection and pleasure. From time immemorial, people have taken shelter of God for various reasons. Some seek protection from distress, some seek material pleasures, and some seek spiritual knowledge and salvation. The story of Prahlāda vividly illustrates different aspects of Kṛṣṇa’s shelter. Prahlāda was the son of a demoniac king named Hiraṇyakaśipu. When Prahlāda was still in his mother’s womb, he learned from the sage Nārada the glories of divine shelter and the means to attain it. After his birth, he was naturally devoted to God. His demoniac father was averse to God and devotion to Him and employed wicked means to dissuade little Prahlāda from his devotion, resorting to brainwashing, insults, torture, and even attempts to kill him. Amidst all these trying circumstances, Prahlāda, fixed in the Lord’s divine shelter, experienced hope, happiness, security, and satisfaction. *The Power of Our Sense of Identity* Our identity and values are a core aspect of our existence. They define us and our purpose in life. We constantly strive to protect, preserve, and perpetuate our identity and the values associated with it. If we identify ourselves with the body and give utmost value to shelters based on it, we are bound to face much uncertainty and insecurity because the body is temporary and subject to disease, deterioration, and death. Various material factors can affect bodily shelters. For example, we can lose our relationships with our parents, spouse, and children at any time. But there is no chance of feeling insecure when we identify as a spiritual being unaffected by worldly changes and disturbances and value our relationship with God, who is eternal. Prahlāda identified himself as a servant of Kṛṣṇa and valued every opportunity to remember Him and offer Him service. Hiraṇyakaśipu tried to disturb and destroy everything belonging to Prahlāda, including his body, his relationships with his mother and friends, and his status as a prince. But Prahlāda always felt reciprocation from Kṛṣṇa and secure in their relationship. When we keep our spiritual identity as our foundation and harmonize our functional identities—child, student, citizen, etc.—with our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, then we can feel safe and secure, unaffected by worldly threats and tribulations. *Pursuit of Purpose* The purpose we pursue is another important aspect of our life. It determines the plans we make and the priorities we set. If our purpose is centered on a material shelter like career, wealth, or social status, which are subject to change and destruction, then we are prone to experience confusion, frustration, and emptiness. We will also lack coherence and fullness in life. When we seek divine shelter, however, our purpose is to progress in our relationship with God. As spiritual beings, both we and Kṛṣṇa are beyond the influence of time and not subject to change and destruction. When we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, we can experience stability in life. Prahlāda initially experienced persecution at the hands of his father. Then, after his father’s death, he experienced great prosperity and success. Since Prahlāda was fixed in his relationship with Kṛṣṇa as His devotee, he was equipoised and grounded amidst success and defeat. Because Kṛṣṇa is behind everything in the world, when we harmonize our worldly activities with our relationship with Him, we can experience coherence and fullness in life. In this world of duality and impermanence, suffering is inevitable. We have a need to make sense of difficulties so that we can proceed in life. Because the material paradigm is not based on the actual purpose of human life and the world, it can provide only a superficial explanation for the distress we go through. For example, the material paradigm may attribute our distress to ill luck, incompetence, or lack of order in our life. Any respite provided by a material shelter is temporary and filled with duality, which means that it can entangle us in future suffering, as scratching an itch aggravates the itching. A material shelter can also degrade us into vices like intoxication. On the other hand, God’s divine shelter can help us make sense of the difficulties we go through, such as when we understand the concept of destiny and the journey of the soul through multiple lives. Kṛṣṇa’s love for us is eternal, unconditional, and uninterrupted. Devotional service to Him is imperishable and beyond dualities. Prahlāda, amidst all reversals and rejections, found acceptance and assurance in his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. He cherished every opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa and looked forward to more and better opportunities to do so. Divine shelter offers true solace and hope. *Real, Sustainable Completeness* Contentment is an outcome of feeling complete under a shelter. Completeness needs to be measured in breadth as well as depth. When one is full—when one’s sensual, emotional, intellectual, and egoistic needs are fulfilled—one does not have any external demands and expectations. A material shelter like a spouse or money may initially promise or give a sense of completeness, but it cannot be sustained and wanes in a short time. On the other hand, the sense of completeness offered by the divine shelter is real and sustainable because Kṛṣṇa is eternal and His love for all souls is eternal. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, most attractive, and ever attractive. The completeness experienced in Kṛṣṇa’s shelter is eternal and immunizes a devotee against seeking anything external. Prahlāda was fully absorbed in remembering Kṛṣṇa, and he lost all attraction to royal opulence, comforts, and indulgences and the promises of power, prestige, and popularity as a prince. Divine shelter offers sustainable satisfaction. It is natural for the mind to offer various material propositions for pleasure. Through a material shelter like family relationships, profession, or wealth, some material desires get fulfilled and there is some respite. Nonetheless, the mind continues to bring other unfulfilled material desires to the forefront. Lord Kṛṣṇa describes the materially absorbed mind as one’s worst enemy (*Gītā* 6.6). Under divine shelter, the material desires stored in the mind get gradually purified. As the mind become free of lust, anger, greed, and other vices, one can experience tranquility beyond any external influence. Prahlāda was pure. He saw everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa and lost the desire to enjoy. He saw his father with compassion and thus did not harbor any malice toward him for his actions. This kind of tranquility strengthens ones focus on the divine shelter. Any material shelter requires that we deal with matter constantly with our body, mind, and words. This plants desires to enjoy matter (*Gītā* 2.62). In this way one gets entangled more and more. Life becomes complicated because of a network of material desires and the anxieties associated with them. On the other hand, divine shelter frees one from material involvement. The deeper we go into the divine shelter of Kṛṣṇa, the more we are freed from material needs and desires. Because Prahlāda’s life centered on remembering Kṛṣṇa, he lost all interest in the topics of worldly politics and diplomacy taught in his school. One’s life becomes simpler when one takes divine shelter. We can access Kṛṣṇa’s shelter anywhere, anytime through service to Him, dovetailing all types of engagements of body, mind, and words. Serving Kṛṣṇa does not require any preconditions. There is no discrimination based on color, race, education, or social status. He values inner sincerity above external competence. If the required paraphernalia are not available, service can even be offered within the mind. This is not possible in mundane and selfish relationships where externals and results are given greater importance than attempts and emotions. Kṛṣṇa’s shelter is not meant to just offer protection from material entanglement but to offer a personal and everlasting relationship with Him. He has an exquisite, enchanting form and numerous wonderful qualities, such as compassion. He performs countless pastimes with His loving devotees. His qualities and pastimes inspire us to nurture our relationship with Him. When we develop pure love for Him, we can serve Him eternally in a mood of servitude, friendship, parenthood, or amorous love. Kṛṣṇa can simultaneously love everyone and make everyone feel loved. *Attaining Divine Shelter* The first step in attaining divine shelter is to understand what it is and the need for it. We are helped in this understanding by learning about devotees who attained Kṛṣṇa’s divine shelter in the past. Considering the limitations and futility of other shelters in the world also helps, as does studying *bhakti* texts like *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* and *Bhagavad-gītā*. Our learning will be more effective in the company of like-minded souls. Clear knowledge and right understanding lead to correct and committed practice of devotional service. Devotional practice, *bhakti-yoga*, consists primarily of hearing about Kṛṣṇa, chanting His names, and rendering service to Him. We integrate these devotional practices into our daily life, balancing them with our family and worldly responsibilities. As we become steady in our practice and pure in heart, Kṛṣṇa reciprocates and offers His shelter more and more. Then we can deeply experience all aspects of Kṛṣṇa’s divine shelter, which begin with security and progress to unparalleled sweetness. *Rukmiṇī Vallabha Dāsa, a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, began practicing* Kṛṣṇa consciousness *in 2010 and serves full time at ISKCON Pune. He is a research student at Bhaktivedanta Research Center, Mumbai, and blogs at https://spiritualwisdomonline.com*. Harvey Cohen: The Story of Prabhupāda’s First Follower in the West By Satyarāja Dāsa *“The Swami has been my only true guru in life. He will always be with me.”* It was January 1967. The vigorous hippie movement in San Francisco was increasing by the day. The “Summer of Love” was only months away, and while thousands were gradually gathering in Golden Gate Park to rebel against a repressive establishment, a determined foursome were getting initiated as Vaiṣṇavas in a nearby Frisco neighborhood. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda had recently arrived on the West Coast for the first time, after having firmly established his movement in New York City. Just four months earlier in New York, in September 1966, His Divine Grace had conducted ISKCON’s first initiation ceremony in the West. Now, on the other side of the country, Sam, Melanie, Harvey, and his girlfriend, Hope, young devotees who were attracted to Prabhupāda and his philosophy, received Vaiṣṇava initiation on January 21, 1967. They would now be known as Śyāmasundara, Mālatī, Haridāsa, and Harṣarāṇī, respectively. Many such initiations would follow. In its way, the initiation ceremony that day was more colorful and spectacular than the large hippie gathering in Golden Gate Park—and certainly more spiritual. The young Western followers knew very little of the traditions and Sanskrit prayers chanted by “the Swami,” as Prabhupāda was called back then. And the associated paraphernalia of the ceremony—sand, sticks, flowers, ghee, sesame seeds, barley, bananas, dyed rice flour, and a small, exotic fire around which the initiates sat in a circle—would have confused them all the more. But after a short while, Prabhupāda started *kīrtana* with his hand-cymbals. And that they knew. The four young devotees got up, as did the others attending, and danced with devotion. The ensuing years for Śyāmasundara and Mālatī are well known in ISKCON circles, involving the first Jagannātha deities in the West, the first Rathayātrā, the introduction of Kṛṣṇa in England, meeting the Beatles, and so on. Harṣarāṇī went on to do some direct service to Śrīla Prabhupāda as well. But Haridāsa (Harvey Cohen) remains a bit of a mystery. Who was Harvey Cohen? Prabhupāda already knew him from well before the whole San Francisco episode. The local devotees were aware of that, but they didn’t know any of the particulars. What was his relationship with Śrīla Prabhupāda, which went back even before ISKCON was founded in New York? Years later, I read about this mysterious figure in Satsvarūpa dāsa Gosvāmī’s *Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta*, and also in Mukunda Goswami’s *Miracle on Second Avenue* and Śyāmasundara’s *Chasing Rhinos with the Swami,* and while his early connection with Śrīla Prabhupāda was clearly solid, I really wanted to know more. And then, just a couple months ago, as if by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s direct arrangement, a friend told me there was a Harvey Cohen in a New York assisted-living facility who might be the same person who helped Prabhupāda in the early days. I did a little digging and unearthed the phone number. When I called and said, “Hare Kṛṣṇa,” the voice on the other end responded in kind. I knew I had found Prabhupāda’s Harvey Cohen. The now ninety-three-year-old veteran of ISKCON was happy to hear from a fellow Prabhupāda disciple. I asked if I could come down and talk to him, and he said, “Anything to serve the Swami’s mission.” *The Early Years* Harvey was born to Jerry and Billie (Bella) Cohen on February 9, 1931, and had one sibling, a sister, Roberta. For much of his youth, the family lived in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, and he went to Midwood High School on Bedford Avenue. It was clear from his earliest days that art would be prominent in his life. Apropos of this, he eventually applied and was accepted to the prestigious Cooper Union on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where he received a well-rounded art education. From there he received a Fulbright scholarship to study fine art in Europe, which initially took him to Paris, and while there the Pollock-Krasner Foundation awarded him a further scholarship, allowing him to travel throughout Europe for his art studies. Altogether he spent eight years studying art in Spain, Italy, and elsewhere. His grant allowed him to study in India as well, and he spent some time in Bombay (Mumbai), where his girlfriend at the time opened a t-shirt factory that focused on images of the various exotic Hindu gods, such as Śiva and Gaṇeśa. But in 1963 he fell ill from eating street food and had to return to America. Upon his return, he took various teaching positions at NYU, the School of Visual Arts, and elsewhere. Although he was successful in his field, he felt something missing, and a definite spiritual longing started to grow. Thus he became one of the many youthful seekers on the Lower East Side, though by this time he was in his early thirties, whereas many of his peers were at least a decade younger. Experimenting with yoga and other spiritual modalities, and reading books that nourished his burgeoning interest in “the truth behind the truth,” he one day found himself at a yoga retreat called Ananda Ashram in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Although not particularly inclined to postural yoga, he liked the spiritual philosophy behind it. So he decided to visit regularly. “I used to go up there on weekends, and I had my own room,” Harvey says. “But something special happened in the fall of 1965 that would change my life forever. One evening, as I sat quietly reading *The Diaries of Franz Kafka*, I noticed someone at my door with saffron robes. It was Swamiji, who I had seen from time to time during the talks and practices at the ashram, but who only sat quietly, chanting on his beads.” *Harvey tells his story of meeting Śrīla Prabhupāda:* He walked in and asked me what I was reading. When I told him it was Franz Kafka, he expressed dissatisfaction. “Not so nice. You should read about Kṛṣṇa. Only Kṛṣṇa.” He had a cardboard suitcase with him, and he gave me his book that he had brought from India, which was in fact all about Kṛṣṇa. We started talking, and he asked me why I was there at this *yoga* ashram. He seemed to know that I wasn’t really interested in physical *yoga* and that I yearned for something more. That’s when he told me that there were higher forms of *yoga*, and that what they were teaching at Ananda Ashram, where we met, didn’t even scratch the surface. He then explained *Bhakti-*yoga** as the perfection of all *yoga* systems. He was very clear and convincing, “bhakti-*yoga* is the highest. It is the science of devotion to God.” He was authoritative, quoting ancient Indian scriptures. As he spoke, it seemed evident to me that he was speaking the highest truth, and somehow it seemed familiar to me, as if I’d heard it before. But I hadn’t. Really, I felt that he was looking into my soul, answering all my questions from many lifetimes without my even asking. I realized then and there, “Here is my eternal spiritual teacher.” From that moment, my only interest was in him and his mission. I made plans to see him again, soon after this incident. (Personal conversation, February 29, 2024) The following week, Harvey started visiting Śrīla Prabhupāda in his small studio on West 72nd Street, his temporary dwelling in New York City, and continued to regularly do so for some time. They confided in each other and spoke frankly. Sometimes they would chant together, just the two of them. Prabhupāda told Harvey of his journey to New York. He conveyed to him the importance of the mission given him by his divine master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and the ancient lineage he represented; he repeatedly apprised him of the profundity of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism; he spoke about his sea voyage from Calcutta, commencing in August 1965 and reaching its destination after one month on September 17. He mentioned his sponsors in Butler, Pennsylvania—Gopal and Sally Agarwal—and how kind they had been to him, giving him facility for his initial stay in the West, in early autumn. In October, Prabhupāda told him, he had left the Agarwals for New York, taking shelter of his one contact in the big city—Dr. Ramamurti S. Mishra (Sri Brahmananda Sarasvati), a renowned yoga teacher. This led to his first meeting with Harvey the very next month, as described above. Mishra was a teacher of Advaita philosophy, the impersonalist doctrine that argues against God’s personhood, Prabhupāda told Harvey, Prabhupāda humbly tolerated his host, only occasionally leading *kīrtana* and speaking when invited to do so. He knew that the time wasn’t right, and so instead of trying to dominate, he sought out interested individuals, like Harvey. The conversation was not one-sided. Prabhupāda showed great interest in Harvey’s life and personal search for truth. Thus Harvey revealed his innermost thoughts, making him and Prabhupāda very close. When Harvey told Prabhupāda about his many accomplishments in the art field, Prabhupāda showed him an Indian print of Śrī Caitanya and His associates dancing at the home of His devotee Śrīvāsa, which he had brought from India for personal inspiration. The artist of the print is listed as “Brojen,” aka Brojen Acharjea, as one can see from the signature in the lower right corner. Brojen was a Bengali calendar artist active in Calcutta in the 1920s–1940s. Prabhupāda asked Harvey if he could make a copy of this print (something Jadurāṇī Dāsī and other ISKCON artists would do in the ensuing years), and Harvey said he would try. In Prabhupāda’s diary entry dated Wednesday, March 2, 1966, we hear of Harvey’s attempt at a sketch: “Cohen brought the Samkirtan picture. There were some defects. So taken back for rectification.” Harvey was primarily a landscape artist and graphic designer, but he tried to do as Prabhupāda had asked. There is no further diary entry mentioning a completed painting. No matter. As history relates, Prabhupāda would soon relocate to a downtown loft—Harvey’s loft—and this led to the founding of the first ISKCON temple in New York, at 26 Second Avenue, changing the lives of thousands. That said, Harvey was pivotal in those early days and perhaps the first devotee in the West to assist *as a devotee*. The Agarwals and Dr. Mishra were supportive, but it was Harvey who accepted Prabhupāda “as my eternal spiritual master,” and initially proselytized on his behalf, bringing the first of Prabhupāda’s committed followers to his lotus feet. We now turn to those inceptive events. *The Mission Begins* As Satsvarūpa dāsa Gosvāmī writes: [Harvey] began to describe Śrīla Prabhupāda to some of his friends at the Paradox restaurant, at 64 East Seventh Street. It was Dr. Mishra who had given Śrīla Prabhupāda shelter uptown, where he had at least survived, but it was through Harvey Cohen and then others from the Paradox that a whole new phase of Prabhupāda’s life in America began. Young seekers began to be attracted to him [Prabhupāda]. A young friend of Harvey’s named Bill Epstein, who was then in his early twenties, says his own coming to see Prabhupāda was due to Harvey Cohen and the Paradox restaurant: “Harvey Cohen came to me and said, ‘I went to visit Mishra, and there’s a new *svami* there, and he’s really fantastic!’” (*Back to Godhead*, #14–06, 1979) Bill Epstein, who was employed at the Paradox Restaurant and would bring edibles for Śrīla Prabhupāda at his uptown studio, took his vows at the very first initiation ceremony in New York. He received the name Ravīndra Svarūpa Dāsa (not to be confused with the later ISKCON guru and intellectual with the same name), but always attributed his involvement with Prabhupāda as something that was inspired by Harvey. The same was true of Robert Nelson (eventually initiated as Jagannātha Prasāda Dāsa by one of Prabhupāda’s disciples), who also became a regular visitor and companion for Prabhupāda in the 72nd Street days. A dedicated group of interested seekers was forming around “Swamiji,” mainly due to the outreach of Harvey Cohen. As Śrīla Prabhupāda later recounts when doing a KGO Radio interview in 1968: “Whatever there was shortage, [Harvey] was supplying. I was getting some money by contributions in my lectures. But in the beginning my all expenditures were not sufficient collection. So the deficiency he was giving me.” In other words, Harvey helped in any way he could, and Prabhupāda was deeply appreciative. Indeed, in the earliest days of ISKCON, Prabhupāda listed nine “trustees” of his fledgling organization on his letterhead, used for all official correspondence, with Harvey’s name among them. In fact, from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s 1966 diary we learn that his movement started to really take shape that winter, and Harvey was front and center: On February 23, Śrīla Prabhupāda established “The International Institution for God Consciousness,” a sort of precursor to ISKCON, and enrolled seven of the people attending his classes, including Harvey. It was at this time that Harvey introduced Prabhupāda to David Allen (according to the diary, his name was Paul), a young seeker who was also drawn to Prabhupāda as his guru. The diary further tells us that in March, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s uptown room was plundered, with the thief taking his tape recorder, typewriter, and book bag. After this experience, Śrīla Prabhupāda naturally felt the need to relocate, and within days Harvey offered him his artist loft at 94 Bowery. The one stipulation was that the loft needed to be shared with David, who had signed the lease. Sharing the space with David seemed like a good idea at the time, since he was interested in Kṛṣṇa conscious philosophy. In addition, Harvey and Bill Epstein had been trying to persuade Prabhupāda that the downtown audience had already proved more receptive than uptown folks, and would likely embrace his philosophy with heart and soul. By April, then, Prabhupāda was in the loft, and Harvey, with Prabhupāda’s blessing, left for the West Coast. The balance of that early part of the story is clear from the *Līlāmṛta*: David takes a misstep with LSD and starts to shout and threaten Prabhupāda, who makes his way out of the loft. With few places to turn, he opts for making a call to Mike Grant (soon to be Mukunda Dāsa, and later Mukunda Goswami), who was only several buildings away. Realizing that Prabhupāda needed new living quarters and a venue from which to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Mike resolved to help him get properly situated. As he scanned the classified section of the *Village Voice*, he quickly found 26 Second Avenue, a storefront with an apartment in the rear building. *California Dreamin’* Meanwhile, soon after Śrīla Prabhupāda was situated in his new storefront temple, for which Harvey supplied several Persian rugs and other paraphernalia to make it more homey, Harvey drives to Mendocino, a coastal community in northern California, in pursuit of a job in his field. When he arrives and gets wind of the local zeitgeist, he becomes overwhelmed by how far the hippie movement has expanded. As a result, he immediately writes Prabhupāda a succession of letters explaining that the area is ready for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As Hayagrīva Dāsa relates in his book *The Hare Krishna Explosion*: From San Francisco, Harvey Cohen writes that the West Coast is ripe for Krishna consciousness. In January, a “Gathering of the Tribes” is scheduled, and a hundred thousand are expected. Hordes of young people are flocking to San Francisco with flowers in their hair, and the word is out that a new generation is blossoming, the “Flower Children,” nurtured on LSD, supposedly attuned to expanded consciousness, and waiting, we hope, to extend this consciousness beyond drugs. . . . Harvey asks for help. He is already looking for a storefront in the Haight-Ashbury district near Golden Gate Park, an area where “it’s all happening.” Swamiji is eager. “Yes, we must go,” he says. “We will go as soon as he has found a place.” Mukunda and Janaki decide to go to India by way of the West Coast. Offering obeisances, they bid Swamiji goodbye, and as they walk out the door, Swamiji tells Mukunda, “Try to open a temple in San Francisco.” It appears that San Francisco is to be the first branch of our young devotional tree. Mukunda and Jānakī (his wife)—with the help of Sam, Melanie, Harvey, and Hope, a girlfriend of Harvey’s from Mendocino—soon find and rent a storefront, turning it into a temple modeled on 26 Second Avenue. Prabhupāda is excited to come and help establish it, as well as to bless the endeavor. They make Harvey the first president of the San Francisco temple. “In his early thirties,” Hayagrīva writes, “[Harvey] is a little older than most of us. He has a short-cropped beard and sincere, inquiring blue eyes. He’s an artist from New York. Articulate, he suavely manages to keep everyone at peace—hippies, Hell’s Angels, straights, and devotees.” Soon, when Śrīla Prabhupāda arrives, Harvey gets initiated as Haridāsa Brahmacārī. It is an exciting time. He writes a poem for *Back to Godhead*, called “Samsara Blues” (March 1967, Vol. 1, No. 10), and, soon after, an autobiographical essay, “How I Met Swami Bhaktivedanta” (June 1967, Vol. 1, No. 13). Most importantly, perhaps, to celebrate Prabhupāda’s arrival on the West Coast, Harvey works in tandem with the other devotees to plan a “Mantra-Rock” dance, which includes several of the most renowned pop entertainers of the time—everyone from Janis Joplin to the Grateful Dead. Famed poet Allen Ginsberg takes part, with Prabhupāda allowing him to give a talk and lead the chanting for some time. The dance was a “happening,” destined to become a significant, historical event, both inside the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and outside as part of the hippie era. It took place on January 29, 1967, a mere week after the foursome mentioned above were initiated. As for the choice of venue, the fledgling team of devotees considered both the Fillmore West auditorium and the Avalon Ballroom, both first-rate and popular concert halls, but they finally settled on the latter, mainly because the managers were sympathetic to the devotees’ goals. As his direct contribution to the concert, Harvey designed a Stanley Mouse-inspired promotional poster displaying a picture of Prabhupāda—one that Prabhupāda had specifically sent him for this purpose. The poster included details of the event and a request to “bring cushions, drums, bells, cymbals.” For further promotional purposes, Mukunda published an article entitled, “The New Science,” in the *San Francisco Oracle*, a local underground newspaper. Part of the article reads, “The Haight-Ashbury district is soon to be honored by the presence of His Holiness, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who will conduct daily classes in the *Bhagavad Gita*, discussions, chanting, playing instruments, and devotional dancing in a small temple in the neighborhood. . . . Swamiji’s use of the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mantra is already known throughout the United States. Swamiji's chanting and dancing is more effective than Hatha or Raja Yoga or listening to Ali Akbar Khan on acid or going to a mixed media rock dance.” The concert was a grand success, with numerous people joining the movement as a direct result. Harvey’s poster is today a collector’s item. Harvey, now Haridāsa, continued as temple president in San Francisco for two years, at which time he was called to New Mexico, to help the devotees once again. The timing was right. He didn’t like what was going on in San Francisco. “It was becoming terribly degraded,” he says. “The Summer of Love became the Decade of Selfishness.” Harvey says that the so-called harmless experimentation of the hippies with pot and LSD devolved very quickly into heavy use of heroin and crack cocaine. This led to thievery, rape, and other crimes. “For the first time, we had to lock the temple doors, or at least watch them closely.” It became a difficult situation. “As San Francisco was once the center of peace and love, it was quickly becoming the last place anyone would want to be.” As a result, he decided to leave, to pursue the service that had opened up for him in Santa Fe. So he drove down and introduced himself to the small team of devotees working to open a temple. While there, he also taught art at the local college. But he kept working with the temple. “We used to drive north and collect milk from the cows in Taos, bringing it back to the temple to make preparations for the Sunday feast. That went on for a couple of years, until I was offered employment as an art teacher on the East Coast.” *“He Will Always Be With Me”* I asked Harvey how his early interactions with Śrīla Prabhupāda informed his later life. After 1970 he was no longer a formal member of the institution, but he always “checked in,” and was concerned about how it was doing, helping out whenever he could. “I never really left the teaching, and, really, the Swami has been my only true guru in life. He will always be with me.” When I asked him how he has managed to keep Kṛṣṇa and Prabhupāda in his life through the years, he answered, “Swamiji told me to always keep Kṛṣṇa in my heart, and to allow Him entrance into my life no matter where I went or what I did. And I do that to the best of my ability. I feel God’s presence; I still do. But it is not separate from Swamiji. When I think of Swami, I think of Kṛṣṇa, and vice versa. They are forever interrelated in my life, and they always will be.” I asked him to give me one tangible way that he sees Kṛṣṇa in his life today. His answer touched me deeply. “Well, even right now. I see he has come to me through you. I did some small service for the Swami some five decades back, and he never forgets it. I see that. He reciprocates. Just in the last few days, you have brought me sacred sweets, a garland from the temple, books, pictures of Kṛṣṇa and the Swami, conversation about God and the meaning of life. Who needs anything more?” Sidebar 1: Samsara Blues I got those Samsara blues, Thinking good or bad? Win or lose? All that smokin’ and talkin’ meth Just turns the wheel of birth and death. I’ll never attain liberation By mere sense gratification LSD and marijuana Won’t get me to Nirvana, And meditating on the Void Only gets me paranoid Remembering I’m not this body, Telling her I’m Brahmachary, There’s really nothing to control ‘Cause I’m eternal spirit soul. Fixed up in Krishna Consciousness, Who cares about the Maya mess? So forget that Uncle Sam Thing, Just keep chanting, chanting, chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. In material entanglement what calms me? A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Krishna chase away those Samsara blues! That’s what I said. —Hari Das Brahmachary (Harvey Cohen) *Back to Godhead* #10, March 20, 1967 Sidebar 2: Bachelor Haridāsa When Harvey was initiated with the name *Haridāsa* *Brahmacārī*, he assumed *Haridāsa* was “an Indian way of saying Harvey.” But he was confused by the word *Brahmacārī*. So he asked Prabhupāda. Looking him square in the eyes, Prabhupāda said, ‘It means that you are a bachelor.” Harvey laughs while telling me the story. His 93-year-old eyes turn to mine, and a weathered Haridāsa says, “I always tried to obey the Swami. I was a bachelor then, and I’m a bachelor now.” –Satyarāja Dāsa *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.* Hidden Struggles: Unmasking the Untold Challenges of Existence by Tanay Shah Despite romantic ideas to the contrary, our time in the womb is not pleasant. But even there a fortunate soul may seek the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Among the extensive teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s avatar Kapiladeva in the Third Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is a detailed description of a soul within the womb of a human mother. The soul is there as a result of its own deeds, controlled by an unerring system that operates under the guidance of the Supreme Lord. The womb will be the soul’s home for ten lunar months, and the stay is far from pleasant. The unborn child, sustained by the mother’s nourishment, faces an undesirable environment that includes worms that cause intense agony. The fetus also endures discomfort from the mother’s consumption of various foods. Despite these challenges, the child, with limited consciousness, must endure everything for the sake of survival. If an adult were subjected to such conditions, completely constricted, survival would be impossible even for a few seconds. By the arrangement of nature under Kṛṣṇa’s supervision, the fetus is able to survive. Unfortunately, we forget these hardships that we ourselves have repeatedly faced. Pursuing all types of temporary enjoyments in life, we neglect pursuing liberation from the cycle of birth and death, a goal that can be achieved only by developing pure love for God. How unfortunate is our civilization, where these crucial matters remain undiscussed. *Repentance Leads to Spiritual Realization* Lord Kapiladeva says that the fetus begins to feel hunger and thirst at five months and is conscious enough at that time to experience the terrible suffering within the womb. In fact, the suffering is so intense that the child goes in and out of consciousness. Deprived of freedom of movement and enduring constant torture, the child awakens to more developed consciousness after seven months. Up to this point in the narration, Lord Kapiladeva has described a soul who after its previous life suffered in hell before entering the womb. Now, as explained by Vaiṣṇava commentator Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Lord Kapila will describe a fortunate child in the womb—that is, one who practiced devotional service in its previous human life. This child, who prays to the Lord, could not be the child who recently suffered in hell, because anyone who begins the process of devotional service will not be sent to hell after death. Amidst his distressing situation in the womb, the devotee fetus may beseech the all-merciful Lord, acknowledging that his predicament is the consequence of his own misdeeds. The devotee knows that he can be relieved from his torture only by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. With a repentant heart, he completely surrenders to the Lord and offers respectful obeisances at His lotus feet. The prayer of the child exemplifies how we can progress spiritually and ultimately realize God. True realization of God occurs only when we repent our misdeeds. Only when we are embarrassed and tired of trying to lord over this material world can we sincerely approach the Supreme Lord. When, with a genuinely remorseful heart, we thus approach Kṛṣṇa, He is ever willing to reveal Himself to us. *The Key to Attract the Lord’s Mercy* In his prayer, the devotee in the womb speaks of forgetting the Lord and undergoing endless hardships in life. He asks for the Lord’s mercy so that he can give up forgetfulness and attain eternal happiness by turning toward the Lord. Finding liberation from life’s constant struggles is possible only through the mercy of the Lord. But how can we make ourselves open to that mercy? The key is in having a strong genuine desire to break free from the material world and turn toward God. When the yearning for spiritual growth becomes deep and sincere, the Lord within our hearts provides a clear direction: “Surrender unto Me.” For those seeking material satisfaction or control over the material world, the Lord allows indulgence in such pursuits. However, when one becomes frustrated with material domination and genuinely desires liberation, the Lord mercifully imparts the understanding that surrendering unto Him is the path to freedom. *Being Grateful and Careful* Lord Kapila describes: Fallen into a pool of blood, stool and urine within the abdomen of his mother, his own body scorched by the mother’s gastric fire, the embodied soul, anxious to get out, counts his months and prays, “O my Lord, when shall I, a wretched soul, be released from this confinement? My dear Lord, by Your causeless mercy I am awakened to consciousness, although I am only ten months old. For this causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the friend of all fallen souls, there is no way to express my gratitude but to pray with folded hands.” (*Bhāgavatam* 3.31.17–18) Kṛṣṇa’s eagerness to lead us to eternal happiness is immeasurable, and while we can never fully repay Him for His blessings, our only response is to express gratitude and pray with folded hands. The human form is esteemed as the highest among living beings, providing developed consciousness to break free from the cycle of birth and death. Unlike animals focused on bodily comforts, humans, through divine grace, possess heightened awareness, allowing reflection on their unique position and realization of their eternal identity. As human beings, each of us is capable of controlling the senses and the mind, which offer the opportunity to reach the ultimate goal. Challenges arise when an undisciplined mind and uncontrolled senses divert us from this purpose. Therefore the key lies in using the human body wisely and responsibly, recognizing the blessings received, cultivating gratitude, and exercising care in our actions. *Desirable Difficulties* Expressing his desperate plea, the devotee in the womb says, “Therefore, my Lord, although I am living in a terrible condition, I do not wish to depart from my mother's abdomen to fall again into the blind well of materialistic life. Your external energy, called *deva-māyā*, at once captures the newly born child, and immediately false identification, which is the beginning of the cycle of continual birth and death, begins.” (*Bhāgavatam* 3.31.20) Within the womb, the child experiences a precarious existence, but there is a silver lining if he discovers a sense of pure consciousness regarding his relationship with the Supreme Lord. However, upon birth, *māyā’s* powerful influence traps the newborn into identifying the self with the body, leading to a false ego that declares, “I am this body.” This illusion strengthens as the child becomes entangled in bodily relationships, forgetting his true spiritual identity. We learn from *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* that Śukadeva Gosvāmī, recognizing this potential entanglement, astonishingly stayed within the womb for sixteen years, cultivating transcendental knowledge. Upon emerging, he left home to avoid *māyā’s* influence. Sometimes it is essential to recognize that life’s difficulties, while undoubtedly challenging, can be desirable. These challenges serve as a catalyst for understanding the deeper purpose of life and what one truly needs to seek beyond the temporary entanglements of material existence. *Clear Consciousness, Your Best Friend* The devotee fetus persists in prayer: “Therefore, without being agitated any more, I shall deliver myself from the darkness of nescience with the help of my friend, clear consciousness. Simply by keeping the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu in my mind, I shall be saved from entering into the wombs of many mothers for repeated birth and death.” (*Bhāgavatam* 3.31.21) The most effective approach to overcome the challenges of life is to cultivate God consciousness. The child in the womb has prayed that it is far better to stay in the darkness of the womb and be absorbed in spiritual thoughts than to come out and again become a victim of the illusory energy. Actually, the Lord’s illusory energy affects one both inside and outside the womb, but the trick is that one should remain God conscious, and then the effect of horrible conditions cannot act unfavourably upon us. The *Bhagavad-gītā* explains how one’s intelligence can be a friend or an enemy. The same idea is repeated here. Those absorbed in the personal service of Kṛṣṇa and constantly conscious of Him are on the path of self-realization and liberation. Without being unnecessarily agitated, if we take to the process of devotional service and always chant the Lord’s names, then the cycle of birth and death can be stopped for good. It might be questioned how a child can be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious within the womb of the mother, amidst such unfavourable conditions where one doesn’t even have any tools for practicing devotion. However, the truth is that there’s no need for any special arrangements to worship the Lord. Cultivating God consciousness doesn’t require material preparations. It can be practiced anywhere and everywhere, as long as one constantly thinks of Kṛṣṇa. Even within the mother’s womb, one can chant the holy names of the Lord. Whether we’re sleeping, working, confined in the womb, or moving freely outside it, our spiritual consciousness remains unrestricted in any situation. *Pushed Out of the Womb* In Lord Kapila’s description, as the child praises the Lord within the womb, the birthing wind pushes him out, causing a difficult and breathless delivery, accompanied by memory loss. The newborn, covered in filth, loses spiritual knowledge and succumbs to the influence of *māyā*. Post-birth, caregivers struggle to understand the child’s needs, resulting in inappropriate nursing. While the womb provided natural nourishment, the external environment poses challenges, with the child’s desires for specific food often misunderstood. Communication barriers lead to the child’s crying for milk but receiving bitter medicine instead, prolonging discomfort. The transition from the womb to the outer world introduces unforeseen difficulties, shaping the child’s early experiences. Staying in a pitiable state, the helpless child lies on a bed, unable to alleviate discomfort or ward off insect bites. Struggling with the loss of spiritual wisdom under the sway of *māyā*, amidst life’s challenges the infant forgets the spiritual knowledge contemplated in the womb. This suggests that even if we gain spiritually uplifting knowledge, we are susceptible to forgetting it under certain circumstances. We should be cautious to safeguard our spiritual consciousness. Avoiding situations unfavourable to our spiritual pursuit is crucial so that we may not forget our prime duties. *Wielding the Sword of Spiritual Association* For the sake of the troublesome body, as the child grows into an adult he again engages in various actions that lead to his continuing in the cycle of birth and death. If by chance one who has not practiced *bhakti* associates again with unrighteous people and indulges in sensual pleasures, he finds himself back in hell, just as he was before. In general, everyone is primarily focused on satisfying the senses, particularly the tongue. This defines material life, which revolves around seeking enjoyment, often without consideration for understanding one’s spiritual identity or the path of spiritual progress. Given this materialistic mindset, those aspiring for spiritual advancement must exercise caution in associating with such persons. Associating with materialistic people, who prioritize sensual pleasures and bodily comforts, jeopardizes one’s human form of life. It is advised, therefore, that an intelligent person should avoid such undesirable company and consistently engage with saintly persons for spiritual nourishment and growth. When one associates with saintly persons, all uncertainties about the spiritual dimensions of life are dispelled, leading to tangible progress on the path of spiritual understanding. At times, people exhibit strong adherence to a specific religious faith. They diligently attend their respective places of worship and perform their religious rituals. However, a significant challenge arises when, despite their religious commitment, they are unable to detach themselves from the company of those who are excessively engrossed in sense enjoyment. Even if one maintains a devout image in terms of religious practices, associating with persons overly immersed in sensual pursuits can lead to dangerous results. Therefore, the caution is against allowing such associations, as they can jeopardize one’s spiritual progress and moral standing. *A Final Reflection* Having seen how life begins with struggles even before we are born, and considering the difficulties we face in our current lives and the challenges waiting for us at death, we would do well to approach life not as a burden but as a profound opportunity for transformation. In the section of the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam’s* Eleventh Canto known as the *Uddhava-gīta*, Lord Kṛṣṇa presents a compelling picture of the human body as a rare and precious gift, similar to a meticulously crafted boat guided by an expert captain (one’s spiritual master) and propelled by divine instructions (the Vedic scriptures). Human life is a unique chance to navigate the vast ocean of material existence and emerge victorious on the other side, the spiritual world of eternal life with Kṛṣṇa. Having journeyed throughout millions of species of life, we have now arrived at the pinnacle—the human form. The crucial question is: Are we resolute in our determination to transcend the challenges of material existence? After enduring numerous lifetimes under the influence of *māyā* and experiencing endless suffering, are we ready to dedicate this precious human life to Kṛṣṇa and witness the transformative magic that unfolds? The Lord, compassionate to His devotees, readily extends protection to those who take refuge in Him. Even when we approach Him with only minimal devotion, He becomes indebted to us and never forgets our service. Having served *māyā* since time immemorial and reaped excruciating results, why not now serve such a magnanimous Lord and revel in His loving association in the spiritual world? *Tanay Shah, 18, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in financial management. He holds a diploma in* Bhagavad-gītā *and a Bhakti Shastri degree. He writes articles, edits books for children and adults, and is an international yoga teacher. He lives in Mumbai.* Counteraction under Kṛṣṇa’s Shelter by Viśākhā Devī Dāsī *Our material remedies for the strikes of material nature are never good enough.* Prior to the great Battle of Kurukshetra, Arjuna, seeing friends and relatives on the opposite side, was overwhelmed by doubt about fighting the impending the war. He said to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, > yadi mām apratīkāram > aśastraṁ śastra-pāṇayaḥ > dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyus > tan me kṣemataraṁ bhavet “Better for me if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battlefield.” (*Gītā* 1.45). Because he doesn’t want to kill kinsmen, Arjuna refuses to counteract their aggression toward him (*aprati*: without opposition; *kara*: acting). He is ready to die unarmed and unresisting rather than fight such an “enemy.” Although we generally don’t think about it, in this material world we’re busily trying to counteract practically everything. There’s air conditioning for hot days and heating for cold ones. We counteract hunger by eating and fatigue by sleeping. We get a puppy if we’re lonely and take a break when we’re stressed. We search for medicine when we’re sick and defend ourselves when we’re attacked. We pour water on fire and call an ambulance when someone’s hurt. We seek entertainment when we’re bored and solace when we’re grieving. We cover wrinkles with makeup and battle flagging muscles with exercise. We clean when there’s dirt and use an umbrella when it rains. At every turn we’re counteracting something. The ultimate futility of these attempts to counteract suffering is expressed by Prahlāda Mahārāja in his prayers to Kṛṣṇa in His form as Lord Nṛsiṁha: “O Supreme, because of a bodily conception of life, embodied souls neglected and not cared for by You cannot do anything for their betterment. Whatever remedies they accept, although perhaps temporarily beneficial, are certainly impermanent. For example, a father and mother cannot protect their child, a physician and medicine cannot relieve a suffering patient, and a boat on the ocean cannot protect a drowning man.” (*Bhāgavatam* 7.9.19) Although we’re always endeavoring for relief from different sorts of suffering, and although our attempts may be temporarily effective, in this world the results of our efforts are not guaranteed and do not offer permanent counteraction. This is not to say that devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa never accept temporary remedial measures, for they sometimes do. Śrīla Prabhupāda himself took Ayurvedic medicine when he was ill. Yet at the same time, devotees recognize that ultimately Śrī Kṛṣṇa is our protector. Śrīla Prabhupāda would quote the Bengali saying *māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke*: If Kṛṣṇa wants to kill someone, no one can protect that person. And if Kṛṣṇa protects someone, no one can kill that person. *Fallible Remedies* In this world we’re all trying to resist and counteract the onslaught of material nature, but in the end every one of us is fully controlled by it. That’s why despite the presence of the father and mother, the child can’t always be protected from disease, accidental death, and various other miseries. We all know there are times when no one can help, not even loving parents and expert doctors. Prahlada Mahāraja goes further, saying that not only can our attempts to counteract miseries be ineffective, but they can also backfire terribly: “Although there are many remedies by which to get out of miserable life, any such remedies in the material world are more miserable than the miseries themselves.” (*Bhāgavatam* 7.9.17) In former years, for example, people were frustrated that they couldn’t move quickly enough from one place to another. Horses were faster than walking, but not fast enough. To counteract slowness, cars became popular and with them, a sprawling network of roads, a fragile international supply chain for auto parts, dependence on fossil fuels from foreign countries, dehumanizing factory jobs, the hefty expenses of owning and maintaining a car, and so forth. Along with the benefit of quick transportation, we’re paying the price of high-speed accidents, all sorts of pollution, traffic jams, a loss of self-sufficiency, huge swaths of land covered with asphalt, and more. We’ve counteracted one misery with a cascade of others. Electric cars are now counteracting some of those problems while creating others in the process. (“Metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel [used in car batteries] must be dug out of the ground before they reach manufacturing plants for refinement. The mining process itself is extraordinarily detrimental to people and the environment, as it uses deadly chemicals such as diesel and mercury.”—https://www.carshtuff.com/post/can-tesla-batteries-be-recycled) Like counteraction, this curious and unfortunate phenomenon of “remedies” creating various sorts of ill effects is also all around us. We take aspirin to prevent blood clots, but may experience heavy side effects like gastrointestinal bleeding or hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke. We support politicians we hope will improve our lot, but then are dismayed and demoralized by their moral turpitude. We get a house in a remote place to live simply and peacefully, but a forest fire destroys it. And so it goes. Arjuna’s misery is in fighting with kinsmen, and his solution is to avoid counteracting the misery, which means that he will set aside his weapons and die at the hands of his enemies. And dying in this way is, of course, yet another misery. Śrīla Prabhupāda puts our material predicament like this: This material world is going on. It is full of dangers. *Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām* [*Bhāgavatam* 10.14.58]. The material world means step by step, simply danger. That is the material world. So you have to find out *pratikāram*, counteraction, how to save yourself from danger. Just like when we walk, we see on so many doors, “Danger,” so that you are warned. Sometimes the doors are “Beware of the dog.” So you have to take care. “No, I shall not enter.” So in everything there is danger, and there is *pratikāram*, counteraction, how to save yourself from it. This is called the struggle for existence. In this material world there is only this danger and counteraction. I am unhappy, so just to become happy I have to work; I have to get money.” (Lecture, *Bhagavad-gītā* 1.45–46, August 1, 1973, London) *Kṛṣṇa’s Sanction Needed* Both Arjuna and Prahlāda Mahārāja realized that whatever we manufacture to counteract miseries will fail if Kṛṣṇa doesn’t sanction it. They and all devotees understand that the real counteraction—one that has no detrimental side effects—is Kṛṣṇa, and with this faith they take shelter of Kṛṣṇa as He advises. > sarva-dharmān parityajya > mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja > ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo > mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (*Gītā* 18.66) In fact, no attempt to counteract miseries will be truly beneficial unless Kṛṣṇa desires it. Therefore devotees fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa and seek His protection, knowing that He is merciful. Prahlāda Mahārāja expresses this when he says to Lord Nṛsiṁha that people have manufactured so many counteractions to dangers but without His sanction these counteracting agents are ineffective. “Therefore,” he says, “I think that the only remedy is to engage in Your service. Kindly instruct me in such service.” (*Bhāgavatam* 7.9.17) The simple acts of sincerely hearing and speaking about Kṛṣṇa are ways to serve and surrender to Him. And such service pleases the Lord, who is happy to protect and reciprocate with His devotee. For devotees who are always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa, He counteracts their miseries. “Discourses concerning the activities of the Lord, in which the glories of His devotees are also found, are extremely pleasing to devotees. Such wonderful topics always counteract the miseries of the materialistic way of life.” (*Bhāgavatam* 7.1.4) In their selflessness, devotees don’t serve Kṛṣṇa for such counteraction, but Kṛṣṇa offers it out of His love for His devotees and His desire to reciprocate with them. *Kṛṣṇa Remembers Our Service* Kṛṣṇa’s counteraction and protection may not always be obvious, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t present. For example, devotees are especially enjoined to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, for what one thinks of at death will determine one’s next body. But what if a devotee dies in an unconscious condition? Śrīla Prabhupāda explains: So if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious once, even if at that time [while dying] you are so-called unconscious, still, Kṛṣṇa is with you; He is not forgetful. He is not forgetful. Therefore He will give you the proper result. Don't think that at the time of your death, because you are so completely out of consciousness, therefore there is frustration. No. There is no frustration. There is no frustration. Because your activities are already recorded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated within your heart, so therefore there is no question of frustration. You just practice. While you are in good health, while you are in good body, while you are in good consciousness, just practice this Hare Kṛṣṇa, and the result is guaranteed. (Lecture, *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 7.7.22–26, March 10, 1967, San Francisco) Śrīla Prabhupāda made a similar point on a morning walk: That is the guarantee. Because he is a devotee, for material condition he could not remember, but Kṛṣṇa remembers, “Yes, he has done so much for Me.” Yes, that is general. But a devotee, because Kṛṣṇa has taken charge of him, even if he does not remember Kṛṣṇa, still, Kṛṣṇa is there. Generally a devotee dies remembering Kṛṣṇa. Generally. But even if for material condition he cannot, then Kṛṣṇa has taken charge. And there is no question of hopelessness. No. We have to do our duty very seriously. Then everything is all right. (March 17, 1976, Mayapur) If we please our supreme father, Kṛṣṇa, by hearing and speaking about Him, by remembering Him, and by acting in accord with His directives, by His grace we will actually counteract material miseries and be happy in this life and the next. Arjuna comes to this conclusion and expresses it when he says, > naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā > tvat-prasādān mayācyuta > sthito ’smi gata-sandehaḥ > kariṣye vacanaṁ tava “My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.” (*Gītā* 18.73) *Visakhā Devi Dasi 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.* From the Editor *The Highest Aspect of the Supreme* The great Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava philosopher Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī wrote six treatises, the *Tattva-sandarbha*, to explain the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as taught by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The collection is also known as the *Bhāgavata-sandarbha* because it is an exposition of the teachings of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, the primary source of Lord Caitanya’s teachings. In the beginning of the first book, *Tattva-sandarbha*, Śrī Jīva establishes, through many scriptural quotations, the supremacy of the *Bhāgavatam* among the numerous books of the Vedic literature, the world’s greatest repository of information about God, or the Absolute Truth. Later in the first book, he quotes Śrīmad-*Bhāgavatam* (1.2.11): “Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavan.” This verse serves as the basis for the next two *sandarbhas*: *Bhagavat-sandarbha* and *Paramātmā-sandarbha*. While the verse mentions three aspects of the Absolute Truth, Śrī Jīva wrote treatises on only two of them, omitting a book about Brahman. He made this choice, he writes, because the subject of Brahman is naturally included in discussions of Bhagavān and Paramātmā. Brahman is the Absolute Truth’s impersonal aspect, which *Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā* describes as the rays of the transcendental body of the Lord. Paramātmā is the Lord in His feature as the Supersoul within everyone and everything, down to the tiniest constituents of matter. Bhagavān is the Lord as the Supreme Person. *Bhāgavatam* 1.2.11, therefore, has great relevance in understanding God, or reality in general. Because God is nondual, realization of any one of His three main aspects—His all-pervasiveness, His immanence, and His unlimited yet supremely lovable personality—is in fact God realization. But there is also a gradation, Bhagavān being the Absolute Truth’s highest aspect. And because of Bhagavān’s ultimacy, to realize Him is the superlative satisfaction of the soul. So while Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī taught that attaining Brahman or Paramātmā is laudable, he stresses that it pales in comparison to the happiness and fulfillment of someone who reaches Bhagavān. In regard to Brahman realization in particular, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva’s uncle, writes that Brahman realization is like a drop of water compared to the oceanic bliss of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. An important *Bhāgavatam* verse that supports this point is 1.7.10 (*ātmārāmāś ca munayo* . . .), on which Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke extensively to Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, both conversations presented in *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta*. The main point of the verse is that Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is so transcendentally attractive that even *ātmārāmas*—self-realized persons, especially those who have realized God as the impersonal Brahman and should be fully satisfied—are drawn to Kṛṣṇa because of His irresistibly attractive qualities. The *Bhāgavatam* gives two examples of self-realized souls who advanced from the “perfection” of Brahman realization to the highest spiritual stage, engagement in pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Those examples are Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī and the four Kumāras. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was Brahman-realized from birth, but hearing the recitation of a few *Bhāgavatam* verses was all it took to draw him to pure devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Brahman-realized Kumāras were so spiritually qualified that they entered the spiritual world and had the direct audience of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the experience elevating them to the plane of devotional service. While the Vedic scriptures report the transformation of self-realized impersonalists into devotees, no pure devotee ever gives up devotional service to the Lord to descend to a lower stage. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor*