# Back to Godhead Magazine #59 *2025 (03)* Back to Godhead Magazine #59-03, 2025 PDF-View COVER: At ISKCON’s Māyāpura-candrodaya Mandira in West Bengal, a *pūjārī* worships the deities of awesome Lord Nṛsiṁha and His dearest devotee, Prahlāda Mahārāja. (Photo by Ṭhākura Sāraṅga Dāsa.) Welcome This issue of BTG corresponds with celebration of the appearance of Lord Nṛsiṁha (or Narasiṁha). The Lord’s appearance itself—His dramatic bursting forth from a palace pillar—is probably the most memorable part of His story, told in the ancient scriptures of India, including *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, where it fills a large portion of the Seventh Canto. An essential part of the story, however, is the role played by the child devotee Prahlāda. In the chapters leading up to the Lord’s climactic appearance, we hear about Prahlāda’s exalted spiritual character. Much of this month’s cover story focuses on lessons from Prahlāda’s character and teachings. In “Ahalyā Cursed and Blessed,” Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa draws lessons from choices related to another personality from Vedic history, the wife of the famous sage Gautama Ṛṣī. Turning to modern times, Girirāja Swami, in “Rose Forkash, ISKCON’s Mother,” introduces us to the mother of an early disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda. In the 1970s. Rose stepped forward to help parents understand their children’s decision to become Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees. Purīdāsa Dāsa’s “Bhaktivinoda Asan” provides a glimpse into pre-ISKCON days with a visit to the first Calcutta temple of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Hare Kṛṣṇa —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor* Q&A *Are we the sum of our thoughts?* Yes, but it is a weighted sum; some thoughts have more influence than others because their weight is much more than that of others. Broadly, our thoughts shape who we are. The kinds of thoughts we regularly cultivate will shape both who we are and who we become. At the same time, not every thought we have defines who we are. Some thoughts just come and go. So overall, if we are practicing *bhakti*-*yoga*, our thoughts become more elevated, spiritual, selfless, and service-oriented. That is how we can understand that we are becoming more spiritually advanced. The thoughts within our consciousness can be of a very wide variety. Rather than saying that we are the sum of our thoughts, which is true at one level, we should say that we are the thoughts we focus on. Therefore, it’s a weighted sum. There may be ten different thoughts in our mind, but we identify certain thoughts that we want to focus on and grow with. It is just like choosing a career. In the beginning, options are wide open. One can become an engineer, a lawyer, a chartered accountant, a pilot, etc. But to pursue a career, we need to choose one idea and persevere. Similarly, we have various thoughts within us, but we must take the initiative and the responsibility to choose which thoughts we dwell on. Those will become bigger and bigger and will determine what we eventually become. Even now, the thoughts we dwell on shape how we behave. For example, when we meet someone, we experience either *rāga* (attraction) or *dveśa* (repulsion). Sometimes we just like a person and want to be with him or her. Sometimes we don’t like someone and want to stay away from that person. Sometimes both like and dislike are there. We like something about a person and don’t like some other thing about that same person. In such a case, are we the sum of that attraction and aversion? Maybe. But when we see some good in a person and focus on the good quality, then our affection for the person may increase. Or sometimes, if we dwell on the aversion part, then we will become more reserved and withdraw into ourselves. Then the interaction will become strained. So, we are not just the sum of our thoughts, but we are also the selectors of our thoughts. Based on which thought we select, that’s what we become. This is an important principle to apply to our practice of *bhakti-yoga*. *Are our mistakes Kṛṣṇa’s mercy?* Kṛṣṇa’s *mercy* can be multifaceted. The word *mercy* has a connotation of Kṛṣṇa personally doing something. However, when we have made a mistake and landed ourselves in a mess, then we cannot say that Kṛṣṇa has done it. Devotees understand that Kṛṣṇa is so expert that He can incorporate even our mistakes into His plan. We may have landed into a terrible situation because of our own folly, but Kṛṣṇa can bring something good out of that situation. For example, when Citraketu, a great devotee, laughed at Lord Śiva, he was cursed by Pārvatī, Lord Śiva’s wife. Consequently, Citraketu had to accept the body of a demon. However, in that demoniac body he exhibited great devotion and thus demonstrated the principle of the universality of *bhakti*. Rather than analyzing too much—is it my mistake or is it Kṛṣṇa’s plan?—we should focus on the attitude that will best help us move forward. An intriguing episode in the *Mahābhārata* highlights two contrasting attitudes. Before the Kurukṣetra war, Vidura strongly castigates Dhṛtarāṣṭra to get him to stop the war. Dhṛtarāṣṭra responds by saying that if the war is destined, what can he do? He expresses his helplessness, saying that he is only a tiny mortal and cannot stop the war. Vidura replies that destiny determines neither the consequence of our actions nor our actions themselves. Vidura strongly holds Dhṛtarāṣṭra responsible for his and Duryodhana’s actions. However, after the war, when Dhṛtarāṣṭra is morose because of losing all his sons, Śrīla Vyāsadeva arrives. Seeing Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s moroseness, Vyāsadeva consoles him. He tells him not to be morose, because the war was destined to happen. Now he should focus on spiritual growth and act according to dharma. Vidura and Vyāsadeva seem to present opposing views. Was the war destined or not destined? Actually, the question is not so relevant. Initially, when Dhṛtarāṣṭra was abandoning his responsibilities using “destiny” as an excuse, Vidura reminded him of his responsibilities and asked him to take action. However, later, when the war is over and nothing can be done about it, Śrīla Vyāsadeva advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to see it as “destiny” and act in the best possible way under the present circumstances. Philosophy is a source of knowledge meant to guide us about right and wrong action in a particular situation. Depending on the situation, the right action may be different at different times. Rather than questioning, “Is this Kṛṣṇa’s plan or not?” we should serve Kṛṣṇa and trust that He will act in a way beneficial for us in our present situation. Founders lecture Vrindavan—September 15, 1975 *Success at the Time of Death* Ajāmila’s experience can inspire us to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa sincerely. > athainaṁ māpanayata > kṛtāśeṣāgha-niṣkṛtam > yad asau bhagavan-nāma > mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt [The Viṣṇudūtas said:] “At the time of death, this Ajāmila helplessly and very loudly chanted the holy name of the Lord, Nārāyaṇa. That chanting alone has already freed him from the reactions of all sinful life. Therefore, O servants of Yamarāja, do not try to take him to your master for punishment in hellish conditions.”—*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 6.2.13 The most important words here are *mriyamāṇaḥ* (“while dying”) and *samagrahīt* (“perfectly chanted”). This refers to how Ajāmila chanted the Lord’s holy name at the time of death. There are three ways to chant: *śuddha-nāma*, the pure name; *nāmābhāsa*, almost pure; and *nāmāparādha*, chanting the holy name with *aparādha*, offenses. There are ten kinds of offenses in regard to chanting the Lord’s holy name. The most offensive chanting is *nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ*. This means that one understands that chanting destroys the results of sins, so one continues to sin, thinking that by chanting he will be free of the reactions. Another *aparādha* is *guror avajṣā*, to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa but neglect the orders of one’s guru. And *śruti-śāstra-nindanam*, to disobey the injunctions of the Vedic literature. One may think, “Oh, there are so many rules; it is not possible to follow them.” The offense of *artha-vāda* means to interpret the holy name in our own way. And to consider the holy name of Viṣṇu and other names equally potent is also a *nāmāparādha*, an offense against the holy name. To instruct a person who has no interest in chanting the holy name is also an offense. We should not be very much interested to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness to someone who is not interested. But tactfully, if you can, just try to give him a book about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way there are ten kinds of offenses. We have discussed these many times, and I think all of you know them. Here it is said, *mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt*. Because Ajāmila uttered “Nārāyaṇa” at the time of death, there was no question of offense. It is said in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (7.28) that by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one gradually becomes free from all sinful reactions. > yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ > janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām > te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā > bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ “Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.” And the proof is, as it is said in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (8.5), > anta-kāle ca mām eva > smaran muktvā kalevaram > yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ > yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ “And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” If at the time of death one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he is glorious. Here it is clearly said in the *Bhagavad-gītā*, *nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ:* “Of this there is no doubt.” *Examined at Death* *Anta-kāle*: “at the time of death.” I have several times said that the test will come at the time of death. They say in Bengal, *bhajan kora pūjān kora murte jānle hoy*. The results of your austerity, penances, chanting of the holy name—all these things—will be tested at the time of death. It is like an examination in school. Before promotion to the higher class, one is examined in the school, and if the marks are sufficient, then he is promoted. So our promotion—where we are going—will be determined at the time of death. Death means we are going to change our body. Our next body will be decided at the time of death. It is already decided what kind of body we are going to get, but the final decision will be taken at the time of death. That is said by Kṛṣṇa. Everyone can understand. If at the time of death one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you know certainly that he has gone to Vaikuṇṭha. There is no doubt about it. And even if there is *aparādha*, offense, that is not taken into consideration, because he has uttered Hare Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. This is a special consideration. *Anta-kāle*: at the time of death. Here it is said, *yad asau bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt*. *Sama* means *samak*, “perfectly.” The Viṣṇudutas are telling the Yamadūtas, “Now he is quite fit for going back home, back to Godhead. Do not touch him. He is completely free.” If we are serious about our life, the method is very easy. The prescription is: > man-manā bhava mad-bhakto > mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru > mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te > pratijāne priyo ’si me “Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (*Gītā* 18.65) Where is the difficulty? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then the mind will be fixed up. Our business is to fix our mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. This Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting will help us. As soon as we chant, we hear. It is not that only by seeing Kṛṣṇa you become perfect. By hearing Kṛṣṇa also. Like seeing, hearing is also a sense. We gather knowledge from different senses. Suppose there is a good mango. When you say, “Let me see how the mango is,” you are already seeing, but that seeing is imperfect. When you take a little portion of the mango and taste it, then you can understand. Experience is gathered from different senses. Why are you giving stress only to seeing? This is foolishness. Even if you do not taste—the mango seller may not allow you to taste—you can smell. By smelling, you can understand whether the mango is good or bad. After all, somehow you have to get experience of the mango. *Perceiving Kṛṣṇa* Why should we stress only upon seeing Kṛṣṇa? That is a most foolish proposal. You have other senses. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to be perceived by you by other senses. How? If you hear Kṛṣṇa’s name, then you must know there is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not different from His name or His form or quality or paraphernalia—anything. He is absolute. There is no duality in Him. Anything you perceive is Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa temple is also Kṛṣṇa. But we have no sufficient knowledge about how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to be understood by us in so many ways. In Kali-yuga, the current age, Kṛṣṇa’s name is especially important in this regard. > harer nāma harer nāma > harer nāmaiva kevalam > kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva > nāsty eva gatir anyathā “In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.” (*Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa* 3.8.126) This formula should be seriously taken. In today’s verse the Viṣṇudūtas say, *kṛtāśeṣāgha-niṣkṛtam*: “By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Ajāmila has already atoned for unlimited sinful activities.” *Aśeṣa* means “unlimited.” An unlimited number of sinful activities are already finished. So the Viṣṇudūtās forbade the Yamadūtas: “Don’t touch him. He is not fit for going to Yamaloka, but he is fit for going to Viṣṇuloka.” *Bhagavan-nāma* (“the holy name of the Lord”) *mriyamāṇaḥ* (“while dying”). The most important thing is how to become successful. At the time of death, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. *Bhagavan-nāma* *mriyamāṇaḥ*. That will be the perfection of life. *Give People a Chance to Chant* Then the Viṣṇudūtas explain, > sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā > stobhaṁ helanam eva vā > vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam > aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ “One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.” (*Bhāgavatam* 6.2.14) *Sāṅketya* means “as an assignation.” Sometimes on the street, some outsiders, seeing you with your symbols (*sāṅketya*), chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because they see, “They have got *tilaka*, *kaṇṭhī* [neck beads].” Therefore these things are required. Don’t immediately become a *paramahaṁsa**—no *tilaka*, no *kaṇṭhī*, and no bead bag. This is not good. *Sāṅketya*. The symbols are there so that others may understand, “Here is a Vaiṣṇava. Here is a Kṛṣṇa devotee.” And if he is simple, he’ll chant “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” This chance should be given. Therefore it is necessary to appear as a devotee so that people can utter the holy name. That chanting may save him from the greatest danger. It is said here, *pārihāsyam*, “jokingly.” Sometimes a person jokingly says “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” He is not seriously chanting, but he is joking about the other party, the one who is engaged in chanting. That is also good. During Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s time the Muslims used to joke about the Hindus and say “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.” This practice made them chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. A police officer was informed by a constable, “These Hindus are chanting ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.’” The police officer asked him, “Then why are you chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?” By imitating, they became practiced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so nice. Even joking. Or *helanam*, without any care: “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Any way you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then *vaikuṇṭha-nāma grahaṇam aśeṣāgha-haram*: your sinful reactions are destroyed. *Kṛṣṇa Will Help You* The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is such a nice thing. Some way or other if we can take it very seriously, then our life will be successful if we can chant at the end of life. Therefore the emperor Kulaśekhara Mahārāja said: > kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-paṣjarāntam > adyaiva me viśatu mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ > prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ > kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau smaraṇaṁ kutas te “My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I pray that the swan of my mind may immediately sink down to the stems of the lotus feet of Your Lordship and be locked up in their network; otherwise at the time of my final breath, when my throat is choked up with cough, how will it be possible to think of You?” (*Mukunda-mālā-stotra* 33) He is praying, “My Lord, now I am healthy. I am quite conscious. So at this time, if I absorb my mind in Your lotus feet and die, it is very good. It is very good because at the natural time of death, the three elements—*kapha, vāta, pitta* [mucus, air, and bile]—will be dismantled, and there will be different sounds, and mind will be distracted, the brain will be failing. So there will hardly be the possibility of chanting Your holy name. The best thing is that now, while I am feeling healthy—my whole physical system is quite fit—let me chant and die immediately.” This is the desire of the devotee. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. If you chant seriously, without offense, even if your mental condition at the time of death is disordered, Kṛṣṇa will help you chant without offense. The only qualification is that we must be very sincere. If even by symbolic chanting or by joking one can get the benefit, why not do it carefully? What is the wrong there? Be serious and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very carefully in order to get the success of life at the time of death. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. **Paramahaṁsa* is the highest stage of *sannyāsa*, the renounced order of life, at which point one is not required to display any of the outward symbols of a devotee. “They Have Created an Animal Civilization” Here we continue an exchange between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and some of his disciples that took place on October 18, 1975, during a morning walk in Johannesburg, South Africa. Śrīla Prabhupāda: In the Vedic system, sex is allowed only for begetting children. In other words, restriction. Sex is allowed, but with great restriction—under religious rules and regulations. There are so many things, such as the *garbhādhāna*, or seed-giving, ceremony. Even when sex is employed properly, for begetting a child, it is not undertaken secretly, without anyone else’s knowledge. There should be a ceremonial function, *garbhādhāna*-saṁskāra. All the *brāhmaṇas* and relatives come, and everyone knows, “Sometime soon, this man is going to have sex for begetting a child.” So there is a dignified heralding. Not that sexual activity is simply done in the heat of the moment, like cats and dogs. Actually, even cats and dogs do not have sex secretly. Human beings do it secretly and use contraceptives, because they do not want the botheration of having a child. Therefore their “scientific advancement” especially means how to kill the child: how to take and distribute contraceptive pills, how to arrange for abortions, and how to allow the young people, “Yes, you go on having sex, but take these pills so that you may not be bothered.” Why not stop all the botheration of sex altogether? That they cannot do, because they are animals. Because they have created an animal civilization, they cannot escape all this botheration. *Kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta *dhīraḥ*.* Why don’t they teach people to become *dhīraḥ*, sober? “Let me tolerate this itching sensation [the urge for sex]. Let me remain *brahmacārī* [celibate], remain on the spiritual platform.” Their teaching is not good: “You should have sex repeatedly”—and then suffer the consequences. And in trying to avoid suffering the consequences, people incur more suffering. *Bahu-duḥkha bhājaḥ*: after sex—illicit or licit—the consequence is suffering. Even when the sex is licit, then you still have to take care of your wife, and you also have to take care of the children, and be always in anxiety about their food and clothing, their education, their upliftment, and so on and so forth. Always undergoing suffering. And if the sex is illicit, then you have to undergo these sufferings: Because you commit the sin of killing the child by contraceptives or abortion, therefore in your next life you must be killed. And in the meantime you have to go to the doctor and pay his exorbitant fees, and so on. So where is the relief from suffering? Whether illicit or licit, sex means you have to suffer. But *tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha bhājaḥ*. These rascals, once they have had sex, they cannot be done with it: “That’s all right. I have already got one child to take care of.” No. “I must have sex again and again.” You would think that once someone had committed sinful activities such as killing the child in the womb, then he would say, “All right. Stop it now.” No. “Again.” *Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā*: such a miserly person is never satisfied. He knows that following his sinful activity there will be suffering. Still, he’ll not stop this sinfulness. Therefore a man should be educated to become sober: “Let me tolerate this itching. That’s all. I’ll save so much trouble.” This is knowledge. To become a rascal and then more and more of a rascal and then suffer—is that civilization? Does civilization mean simply making people rascals, so that they can suffer and commit spiritual suicide? Just tell people that they have created this civilization of “Become a rascal and then suffer.” And all their sufferings are nature’s arrangement. Nature says, “You have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Now you must come under my control. You’ve become a rascal. Now suffer.” *Daivī hy eṣā guṇa mayī mama māyā duratyayā.* Kṛṣṇa says, “My material nature is very severe, very punishing.” Why is she doing that? She is teaching us, “Surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you will go on suffering like this.” This is nature’s way. But the rascal—because he is a rascal—does not know that *prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi*: “I am under the full control of *prakṛti*, material nature, and her business is to keep me a rascal and make me suffer.” And yet these rascals are thinking themselves advanced in education. Disciple: Prabhupāda, they will say that this suffering is actually pleasure. Śrīla Prabhupāda: That’s all right. Go on with your “pleasure.” Who is stopping you? Enjoy this “pleasure.” But if everything in this material world is made for your unrestricted pleasure, then why are you taking up a countermeasure? Why do you make a plan to kill the child? Because everything is pleasure? Why do you take up the contraceptive method—if the real arrangement here is not for punishment and spiritual correction but for your sensual pleasure? That is the proof of what rascals they are. *Mūḍha nābhijānāti*: Kṛṣṇa says, “Rascals can never understand what is what.” Try to understand why Kṛṣṇa has said so many times, *mūḍhāḥ . . . māyayāpahṛta-jñānā*: “These people are rascals, whose so-called knowledge is stolen by illusion.” Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, is speaking like that, so there must be some meaning. Human civilization means giving spiritual relief. Enlightened life, comfortable life—not simply repeating the dark, sensual ordeal of the animals. That is human civilization. Disciple: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in everyday life we see that only the devotees are somewhat free from anxiety. Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. That’s a fact. We have little anxieties, simply because we have to deal with this rascal world. Otherwise, we have no anxiety. But we have taken this mission, to go and approach people and tell them the truth. Therefore we have got a little anxiety. Otherwise there is no question of anxiety. Because we are mixing with these rascals—and we have to do that, we who have taken up this mission—therefore we have some little anxiety. That is also not very much. But anyway, you must know, the whole world is full of rascals and fools. That is not an exaggeration. Or have you got a different opinion? Disciple: No. Śrīla Prabhupāda: *Hm?* What do you think? Do you agree? Disciple: They are *mūḍhas* [fools]. Śrīla Prabhupāda [*laughing*]: Our verdict is final: “All rascals and fools.” Therefore when I ask these rascals, “Any question?” they are stopped. [*Laughter.*] “Come on—any question?” What question can they ask? I challenge them, “Any question?” They know, “We have been proved rascals.” During my lecture last night, I quoted Kṛṣṇa's chastisement of Arjuna in the *Bhagavad-gītā*. *Aśocyān anvaśocas tvāṁ prajṣā-vādāms*: “Your words are very high-sounding, but do you know what you are doing? Talking like a low-class fool. Overlooking your inner soul, your real, spiritual self. Stupidly taking yourself to be this outer covering, this material body. But this material body is the very cause of all your suffering.” And I said, “This is the position of everyone. Everyone is a fool, a rascal, ignoring life’s actual problem.” Lessons from the Prahlāda-Narasiṁha Līlā *Prahlāda’s whole life, and not just his dramatic rescue by the Lord, has much to teach us about the ideal of pure devotion.* By Brajanātha Dāsa and Suvarṇa Rādhā Devī Dāsī Undoubtedly, life in the material world isn’t always pleasant. It brings a mix of struggles and victories, successes and failures, happiness and sorrow. When one feels helpless and in need, one may turn to the scriptures. This shift in pace allows for self-reflection, especially when one steps away from the relentless pursuit of daily life. Fear and necessity drive one toward spirituality, which in turn guides one to peace and introspection, leading further into spiritual exploration. And thus the spiritual journey begins and continues over time. Embracing every situation gracefully as the unfathomable will of the Lord is a principle found in all major world scriptures. In moments of suffering and sorrow, a prayerful submission to God can offer immediate and profound solace. When we learn to stay balanced in every circumstance, particularly during hardship, we unlock the secret to enduring joy. Devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, for example, to protect themselves against life’s hardships and courageously meet the challenges of the world, wield their faith in Him as a shield, akin to soldiers’ wearing bulletproof vests into combat. One remarkable story from *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is that of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was the son of the mighty atheist monarch Hiraṇyakaśipu, and thus, from his very birth, he was surrounded by adversaries of godly persons. Prahlāda learned the teachings of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from Nārada Muni while in his mother’s womb. From *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (3.31.13, 18) we learn that a fortunate soul may encounter Kṛṣṇa just before birth and vow to become His devotee, thus avoiding rebirth. However, this memory is often lost due to the shock of birth and being captured by *māyā* (illusion). Prahlāda, nonetheless, retained his memory of Kṛṣṇa. Even as a child he was a great devotee and became one of the twelve *mahājanas* listed as uniquely qualified authorities on the teachings of the Vedic literature. Prahlāda and his mother, Kayādhu, both heard from Nārada Muni, yet Prahlāda became a great devotee whereas Kayādhu didn’t because she was more concerned with protecting the child in her womb and anxious for her husband (Hiraṇyakaśipu) to return from performing *tapasya*, the austerity of deep meditation. Prahlāda clung to Nārada’s teachings, finding solace in envisioning Kṛṣṇa’s form. In response to his father’s interrogations and demands, Prahlāda spoke only of devotion to Kṛṣṇa, his guardian. Hiraṇyakaśipu’s rage intensified as he repeatedly threatened his son, yet Prahlāda stood firm. Hiraṇyakaśipu, fueled by wrathful resolve, tried to end Prahlāda’s life through various means. He plunged the boy into boiling oil, cast him into hurricane winds, dropped him into a snakepit, had him trampled by an elephant, and gave him poison, but to no avail. Exasperated, Hiraṇyakaśipu seized Prahlāda and flung him down, aiming to shatter him like stone. Yet, immersed in meditation on Kṛṣṇa, Prahlāda was unscathed. Finally, the Lord appeared as Narasiṁha and killed Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda’s unwavering devotion to the Lord resulted in his father’s liberation by the Lord’s divine mercy. Moreover, the Lord’s act of grace extended beyond Hiraṇkaśipu’s immediate lineage, purifying twenty-one generations of his ancestors. Let’s explore some key takeaways from Prahlāda’s story. *Consequences of Untimely Union* The sexual union of the sage Kaśyapa and his wife Diti at an inauspicious time, described in the Third Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, resulted in the birth of two demonic sons: Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu. To destroy them, Lord Viṣṇu incarnated as Varāha (the boar incarnation) and Narasiṁha (half man, half lion). Although Kaśyapa and Diti’s union for procreation was predestined by the Lord’s will (the reason is described in the Third Canto), scriptures often present extreme examples to emphasize norms, not to normalize extremes. Their story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of procreation with disregard for proper timing, leading to a world now teeming with metaphorical descendants of Hiraṇyakaśipus due to indiscriminate human behavior. It is an important lesson to all couples who plan to have children. If they are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they can produce a child like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (7.11), “I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles.” Kṛṣṇa consciousness means trying to please Kṛṣṇa by all one’s actions. Sex can please Kṛṣṇa only when used to produce Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Parents can bring a new life into the world to take the message of Godhead into the future. This is the special gift they can give the Lord. *No One Can Overpower the Lord by Austerities* To retaliate his brother Hiraṇyākṣa’s annihilation by Lord Viṣṇu as Varāha, Hiraṇyakaśipu swore to appease his brother’s spirit by killing Viṣṇu. Hiraṇyakaśipu, foolishly believing Lord Viṣṇu to be an ordinary living being who by austerity attained Godhood and thus immortality, thought that he himself could achieve the same result through his own asceticism. This theory, however, is refuted by Lord Kṛṣṇa, who declares in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (9.10), “This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” And in *Bhagavad-gīta* 7.24 He says, “Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.” Lord Kṛṣṇa didn’t have to work to achieve Godhood. He is eternally the Supreme Absolute Truth, and the individual souls are eternally His parts. The material energy, *māya*, is one of the Supreme Lord’s numerous potencies. *Māya* is entirely subservient to the Lord; therefore the Supreme Lord cannot be overpowered by it. The living entities, however, as minuscule aspects of the Lord, are susceptible to delusion. *Simultaneously Equal and Partial* Lord Kṛṣṇa says that He is never partial to anyone (*Gītā* 9.29) and simply reciprocates with every living entity in accordance with the living entities’ desires (*Gītā* 4.11). So one may wonder how Kṛṣṇa can be equal to everyone when He is partial to His devotees. The Lord demonstrated this in this pastime. He acted equally toward Prahlāda and Hiraṇyakaśipu. But He protected Prahlāda because Prahlāda accepted His shelter, and He killed Hiraṇyakaśipu because he ill-treated His dear devotee Prahlāda and wanted to kill him. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (4.8): “To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” Hiraṇyakaśipu felt insulted when Prahlāda told him that Lord Viṣṇu is the source of strength for everyone, including him. Disbelieving his arch-enemy to be the source of his own power, Hiraṇyakaśipu challenged Lord Viṣṇu to face him and struck a pillar. In response, to honor His devotee Prahlāda’s words, Lord Viṣṇu emerged from the pillar in an unprecedented form, as Narasiṁha. He toyed with Hiraṇyakaśipu like a cat with a mouse and then killed him. Materialistic people who do not think of Kṛṣṇa are much less fortunate than demons obsessed with fighting Kṛṣṇa. Nārada Muni says that demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu can actually be more intensely absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa than devotees. To be killed directly by the Personality of Godhead is a great boon. Materialistic people who fear death cannot understand this due to faulty vision. *Partial to His Devotees’ Prayers?* The Lord was still furious after killing Hiraṇyakaśipu. Even Lakṣmīdevī, the Lord’s consort, couldn’t approach Him, so Brahmā asked Prahlāda to pacify Him. Prahlāda approached fearlessly because he is a dear devotee, and Narasiṁha put His lotus hand on Prahlāda’s head. Prahlāda immediately received the mercy of transcendental knowledge and offered many wonderful prayers, recorded in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, Canto 7, Chapter 9. The Lord was not pleased by the demigods’ prayers, but He was pleased by Prahlāda’s. Why would Lord Narasiṁha listen especially to Prahlāda prayers? Is that not partiality? Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhakura says that of all Kṛṣṇa’s qualities, *bhakta-vātsalya*, or affection for His devotees, is considered the best; it is the emperor that conquers all the Lord’s other qualities and reconciles all contradictions. So, being partial to His devotees is not a fault (*dūṣaṇam*) in Kṛṣṇa, but an ornament (*bhūṣaṇam*)—His most exalted quality. Just as devotees have no desire other than to please Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has no desire other than to please them. *Unflinching Faith in the Lord* The pastime of Prahlāda Mahārāja and Lord Narasiṁha provides profound lessons on transcending fear through faith in the Lord and devotion to Him. Emulating Prahlāda’s example by fostering fearlessness, we can achieve spiritual growth and freedom. True fearlessness lies not in the lack of fear, but in surpassing it with our steadfast faith, humility, and devotion to the Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja, though specially favored by Lord Narasiṁha, still thought himself insignificant in the presence of higher beings of the universe. Expressing his unflinching faith in the Lord’s protection, Prahlāda says, “Nothing is unobtainable for devotees who have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all causes, the original source of everything. The Lord is the reservoir of unlimited spiritual qualities. For devotees, therefore, who are transcendental to the modes of material nature, what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation, which are all automatically obtainable under the influence of the modes of nature? We devotees always glorify the lotus feet of the Lord, and therefore we need not ask for anything in terms of *dharma*, *kāma*, *artha* and *mokṣa*.” (*Bhāgavatam* 7.6.25) *The Relationship Between Parents and Children* Hiraṇyakaśipu’s love for Prahlāda was shown to be mere worldly affection, which is ultimately futile, as it perishes with the body. On the other hand, Prahlāda’s love for his father and his prayers to the Lord resulted in Hiraṇyakaśipu’s liberation. This is true love, offering eternal nourishment and everlasting life. Thus we should learn to truly love our parents and children through prayers to Kṛṣṇa, who acts as a unifying force. In material life, although well-meaning parents shower their children with affection and meticulously provide for all their needs, helping them grow and settle, they tend to neglect the nourishment of their children’s soul. That nourishment is fostered by connecting them with the Lord. Without this spiritual guidance, parental love remains materially bound and incomplete. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (5.5.18) states that one has no right to take the position of a parent unless one can guide one’s children to escape the cycle of birth and death. Correspondingly, according to the scriptures, it is the child’s duty to honor his or her parents and ancestors through devoted actions. To properly guide their children, parents themselves must be Kṛṣṇa conscious, engaging in devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport to *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 5.18.8, “Unless one is completely freed of all material desires, which are caused by the dense darkness of ignorance, one cannot fully engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Therefore we should always offer our prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, who killed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the personification of material desire.” *The Lord’s Compassion* Another demonstration of Lord Narasiṁha’s profound compassion is seen in His relationship with Lord Brahmā, the chief architect of the universe. To gain favors from Lord Brahmā, including immortality, Hiraṇyakaśipu performed severe austerities. Brahmā then granted him several benedictions, to the extent of Brahmā’s power, leading Hiraṇyakaśipu to believe he was invincible because he was now immune to death by any created being, by any weapon or circumstance, whether during the day or at night, indoors or outdoors, in the sky, in the sea, or on the land. Out of affection for Brahmā, Lord Narasiṁha upheld these benedictions, but that didn’t save Hiraṇyakaśipu. Ingeniously, the Lord adopted a form neither fully man nor fully beast, and He killed Hiraṇyakaśipu with His claws, at twilight, on His thighs, at the threshold of the palace. By accepting the lessons from Prahlāda Mahārāja’s life and following in his footsteps, we too can attain the Lord’s mercy and achieve true spiritual success. The gift that Kṛṣṇa wants most from us is to become His devotee with unflinching faith in Him. While living in the temporary world, we should strive to gradually increase our attraction to Him so that we can ultimately attain His eternal abode. As Lord Kṛṣṇa promises, He protects every devotee who surrenders onto Him. “If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace.” (*Gītā* 18.58). We should have faith in the Lord and seek His mercy to overcome all obstacles in our spiritual journey. May the pastime of Prahlāda Mahārāja inspire us to deepen our devotion to the Lord and live a life of fearlessness and spiritual growth. Brajanātha Dāsa, who holds a PhD in chemistry, and his wife, Suvarṇa Rādhā Devī Dāsī, with a PhD in plant biotechnology, are disciples of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami. They work as scientists in the biotech industry and reside in Longmont, Colorado, with their two daughters. They engage in book distribution and serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda at the ISKCON Denver center. Ahalyā Cursed and Blessed by Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa *A lesson from the Rāmāyaṇa on how our choices lead to the shrinking and expanding of our consciousness.* In the *Rāmāyaṇa’s* first section there occurs a story that can seem merely worldly or even discriminatory. If appreciated at a deeper level, however, it demonstrates universal truths about the movements of human consciousness: how it shrinks and how it expands. It is the story of a woman who was cursed and blessed. *The Curse—and the Twist* While Rāma, along with Lakṣmaṇa, was being led by the sage Viśvāmitra to Mithila to protect his sacrifice from demons, they came across a hermitage that seemed habitable but was abandoned. Curious, Rāma inquired about it. Viśvāmitra answered, “This was once the residence of the great sage Gautama. But he abandoned it after an unfortunate sequence of events involving deception, betrayal, and cursing.” Seeing the princes intrigued, Viśvāmitra narrated the story. Years before, Gautama lived there with his wife, Ahalyā, whose beauty was so exquisite as to be celebrated throughout the universe. Even gods had desired her, but gave up that desire after her marriage to Gautama. However, the chief of the gods, Indra, held on to the desire, staying on the lookout for some opportunity to be with her. Once, when Gautama went to a nearby river to bathe, Indra grabbed the opportunity and went to the cottage in the guise of Gautama. Praising Ahalyā’s beauty, he led her inside and united with her. His desire sated, Indra went out of the cottage. At that very moment, Gautama returned after his bath. Seeing his look-alike coming out of his home, the sage was taken aback. With his mystic power, he perceived that it was Indra who had assumed that form to be with Ahalyā. Infuriated, he cursed Indra, “You are so lusty; may your whole body become covered with the organ of your lust.” To Indra’s horror, on his whole body suddenly appeared a thousand vaginas. Hearing her husband’s angry voice, Ahalyā rushed out. Glaring angrily at her, he cursed her, “Because of your unchastity, you will become a stone!” This is the standard version of Ahalyā’s story. In this version, Ahalyā seems to be the innocent victim of two men: one with uncontrolled lust, and the other with uncontrolled anger. However, this version overlooks, knowingly or unknowingly, one significant detail mentioned in the Vālmīki *Rāmāyaṇa*. When Indra disguised as Gautama approached her, Ahalyā perceived, by her own mystic vision, that the person approaching her was not her husband but was Indra in disguise. That recognition didn’t activate her wifely chastity, however; it activated her feminine pride. She became inebriated thinking that her beauty was so great that it had captivated a person as great as the king of the gods—and captivated him to such an extent that he had adopted a guise to approach her. Carried away by that inebriation, she lost her good sense and united with him. *Consciousness—Choices and Consequences* That she gave in to a moment of weakness certainly doesn’t make her a villain. But it does mean that she was not a mere victim either. And therein, in that shade of gray, lies the universal relevance of the story. We all may be overcome by temptation in moments of weakness. While such lapses are understandable, that doesn’t stop them from being consequential. Every choice has its consequence, though sometimes those consequences come so subtly and gradually that we may not perceive the causal connection. On some occasions, like Ahalyā’s lapse, those consequences come immediately and drastically. Such occasions serve as sobering reminders for us to cautiously choose what we give our consciousness to—that is, what we think and thereby what we do. When Ahalyā consented to infidelity, she voluntarily desensitized her consciousness. Infatuated by pride in her beauty, she neglected her higher side: her awareness of her dharmic duties as a wife. Inside us, we all have a higher side and a lower side. Our higher side inspires us to lead a principle-centered life. When we live in harmony with our higher side, our consciousness expands, perceiving realities beyond immediate self-centered pleasures. In contrast, our lower side impels us to indulge in instant pleasures, unmindful of any principles. When we live according to our lower side, our consciousness shrinks, getting locked in the things that give us pleasure, here and now. How expanded or shrunk our consciousness is shapes our response to life’s situations. Suppose we see a wallet lying on the ground. If our consciousness is so shrunk as to encompass only our own desires and pleasures, we will promptly pocket the wallet and use the money for our own purposes. If we at all think about the wallet’s owner, we will be concerned primarily about one thing: “How can I evade the owner and spend this money uninterrupted?” If, however, our consciousness is expanded beyond self-centeredness, we will think about the wallet-owner’s anxiety and agony. That capacity to sense the owner’s emotions will impel us to at least try to locate the person and return the wallet. Not only does our consciousness shape our choices; our choices shape our consciousness. Those who neglect the promptings of their higher side and pocket a wallet once will do the same thing with far less compunction next time. Of course, we may not find too many fallen wallets during our life. But temptation, in some form or other, does knock on the door of our consciousness repeatedly, even insistently. *Stone, Stoned, Stone-hearted* Suppose a young man is offered an illicit drug by a friend. Though he may say no initially, the temptation may come upon him repeatedly. Suppose he is tempted in a moment of weakness because of feeling stressed, overworked, lonely, bored, or worried. In that weak moment, he may choose to take the drug. And once he takes it, his consciousness will become diminished by that choice. Rather than facing life’s inevitable discomforts head-on, he will become more inclined to escape through drugs. Initially, his higher side may help him discern right and wrong. But when he takes drugs repeatedly and becomes hooked, his higher side weakens and his lower side strengthens. Eventually, the same person who may have earlier hesitated to even casually speak a lie may end up cold-bloodedly robbing or even killing just to lay his hands on enough money to get stoned. When he does something as horrendous as murder without feeling any of his victim’s pain, his consciousness has become shockingly shrunk, akin to a stone. Among the many objects in our daily experience since time immemorial, a stone is possibly the most common example of lack of consciousness. Indeed, the stone is used as a standard referent to convey unfeeling hardness. If someone stays impassive in times that call for empathy, we commonly ask, “How can you be so stone-hearted?” In Ahalyā’s case, the degeneration of her consciousness was rapid and drastic: from choosing one stonehearted act of infidelity to literally becoming a stone. In our case, that degeneration may not happen so drastically. Still, our consciousness will go along that terrible trajectory—and go much faster than we may think. Most people become addicted—to drugs or something else—long before they realize they have become addicted. And, for our consciousness to shrink thus, no one needs to curse us—we curse ourselves by our own choices. In one sense, being a stone is better than being stonehearted. A stone doesn’t hurt anyone, but the stonehearted can hurt all those who come in the way of their attachment. Whereas a stone feels nothing, the stonehearted have very strong feelings for the object of their attachment. In fact, their feelings become locked in that object, rendering their sentience dead to other things. Consider butchers. While cutting the necks of animals, they are careful that their own fingers don’t sustain even the smallest cut. They are super-sensitive to their own slightest pain, but utterly insensitive to the horrifying pain of their death-inducing act. In another sense, however, being stonehearted is better than being a stone: the stonehearted still have some sentience and some agency—they can choose to do something to expand their consciousness, if they want. In contrast, a stone can do nothing except exist. That was Ahalyā’s plight for a long time, until she received a miraculous bit of mercy. *Ahalyā Redeemed* Disgusted with the whole sordid episode, Gautama walked away, leaving the hermitage deserted. Indra had been cursed and had to deal with it, but that is a separate story. Let’s focus on Ahalyā. Concluding his narrative, Viśvāmitra drew Rāma’s attention to a stone lying near the deserted cottage. Atop the stone was a *tulasī* shrub, the only thing growing in that hermitage. Pointing to the stone, Viśvāmitra said, “This is Ahalyā, still existing in stone form. Because of her presence the hermitage remains habitable despite not being inhabited. Rāma, she has long been waiting to be delivered by the auspicious touch of Your lotus feet. Bless her by placing Your feet on this stone and free her from the curse.” Doing Viśvāmitra’s bidding, Rāma touched the stone with His feet, and amazingly enough, the stone transformed into Ahalyā, in her beautiful female form. She thanked Rāma for His kindness in delivering her from the curse. Then she rose, and with His blessings departed for an auspicious higher destination. *Expanding Our Consciousness* Let’s consider the broader significance of Ahalyā’s redemption. Rāma is God descended to the world. He is the highest, fullest, greatest reality. When our consciousness starts expanding, it takes in more and more of the reality around us. When that expansion reaches its zenith, our consciousness reaches God. We become not just constantly conscious of Him as the all-pervading reality, but also strongly attached to Him as the all-attractive object of love. Indeed, God is the ultimate object of expanded consciousness. Significantly, not only do we become more conscious of God as our consciousness expands. But also, by our becoming conscious of Him, our consciousness expands further. That is, God is not just the object of expanded consciousness, but also the stimulant for the expansion of consciousness. When we bring our consciousness in contact with Him, it becomes purged of the impurities that keep it constricted. Being thus cleansed, it surges forth, expanding toward nobler purposes and ultimately toward the divine. The time-honored process for bringing our consciousness in contact with Him, thereby stimulating its expansion, is *bhakti-yoga.* An integral limb of *bhakti* is said to be taking the dust of the Lord’s lotus feet. The extraordinary potency of contact with those feet is demonstrated dramatically in Ahalyā’s deliverance. Ahalyā, being in stone form, had to passively wait for Rāma to come and bless her with His lotus feet. In fortunate contrast, we can actively seek contact with those feet, even if we are presently stonehearted. For Ahalyā, both changes—becoming a stone and regaining her beauty—happened suddenly and dramatically. For us, the changes in our consciousness—its shrinking or expanding—may happen much more gradually, yet the eventual results will be just as consequential. If we recognize how consequential each choice is, we will become much more conscious of what we are conscious of. And the more we strive to be conscious of the Lord, the more we will manifest our higher side and become spiritually enriched. *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 a popular YouTube channel (Chaitanya Charan Official) and two websites: gitadaily.com and thespiritualscientist.com (the source for BTG’s “Q&A”).* Rose Forkash, ISKCON’s Mother By Girirāj Swami The mother of one of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s early disciples offered valuable service by helping devotees’ parents understand their children’s new lives. When Śrīla Prabhupāda first arrived in America, it took some time—almost a year—before people began to take his message seriously. But gradually, after he moved to New York, a few young men and women did join him. And after starting his first center, on Second Avenue, Prabhupāda sent some disciples to San Francisco. Soon thereafter, he went, too, and it was there that he inspired and celebrated the first Rathayātrā in the Western world. Before leaving America to return to India in 1967, Śrīla Prabhupāda told his disciples, “Whoever wants to please me”—of course, everyone wanted to please Prabhupāda—“should open a center.” So, one young devotee couple, Dayānanda Dāsa and his wife, Nandarāṇī Dāsī, took up the call and went to Los Angeles and began the center there. Eventually, some disciples in Los Angeles opened a small center in Santa Barbara, and one young person who got a copy of *Back to Godhead* was Linda Forkash. She brought the magazine home and read every page, and she told her mother, “Mom, this is it—this is what I have been looking for! This magazine is answering all of my questions about God.” Soon she decided to move into the Los Angeles temple to practice *bhakti-yoga* in the association of devotees, to realize her goal of developing love for God—Kṛṣṇa consciousness—and she was soon initiated by Śrīla Prabhupāda, in August 1970, and given the name Līlāśakti Dāsī. Before long, in just a week or so, Linda’s mother, Rose, and her husband, Sam, conscientious and loving as they were, followed her to Los Angeles, where Līlāśakti had joined the New Dwarka community of devotees—just to make sure everything was on the up-and-up. Rose got hold of Karandhara Dāsa, who was in charge there, and told him, “If I find out that there are any drugs going on here . . .” She did not know that the devotees did not take even tea or coffee or cigarettes; she just wanted to make sure that her daughter was in proper company. Rose attended a talk by Śrīla Prabhupāda at the temple, and when Prabhupāda asked for questions, Rose asked, “If Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so good, why did you wait so long to bring it to America?” “Because you were not ready,” Prabhupāda replied. Rose thought that the devotees considered that Prabhupāda had put her in her place, but then, with a gesture of his hand, he expanded the idea to all the others—“You were not ready.” When Rose and Sam attended a Sunday program, Līlāśakti remembers, “Experiencing the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and honoring *prasāda* just hooked them. You just cannot escape it. It is the mercy of this day and age that even if you are not conscious of what you are hearing or what you are eating, you will become purified and attracted to Kṛṣṇa. It is just magical. It works. And it worked with my mother and father, because then we could not keep them away. “They just kept coming every week, and before you knew it, they were doing service. I feel really blessed. Especially in those days, there were not a lot of mothers and fathers coming to support their children in what they were doing. But my mum and dad were so supportive and loving, and my own children benefited from having not only a mother that was Kṛṣṇa conscious but grandparents that were Kṛṣṇa conscious, who were at the temple and sharing our life with us. So, we had not only the extended family of devotees, but we actually had our blood relatives. And then friends like Ann Gottfried would come to the temple, and my aunts would come to the temple, and they were quite open. And my brothers. It was really amazing that my family members were as open as they were.” *An Invitation to Parents* At first, Rose recalled, “the experience was overwhelming. Mostly I looked around and saw that there were very few older people. It was mostly younger people, and I wondered, ‘Where are people my age?’ So few parents were coming to the temple—very few came to the Sunday program. A few neighborly people came at that time, I think because of the *prasāda,* but very few parents. “So, I spoke with Rāmeśvara about it one afternoon and said, ‘There must be a way to bring other families around to see for themselves what their children are doing.’ I asked him if it would be all right if I had the names and addresses of all those in the Los Angeles temple. . . . I had no conception of distance at that time; I invited every family that lived in California. “So, we arranged a luncheon. And they came. I stood at the temple door, waiting for every car that would pull up. I felt so grateful when I saw fifty people finally filling the room. I stood at the door and greeted everybody. “Everybody was very uncomfortable at the beginning, and when I stood before the room full of parents, I wondered what I could say to them. I thanked everybody for coming, and then suddenly I just began to cry. That was the beginning. But I recovered enough, and I tried my best to explain what their children were doing and why they were doing what they were doing and that I had hope that if they, the parents, were able to read some of the material, perhaps their differences would be smoothened. And so it went.” In the following years, Rose expanded her service. “From that, I wrote to other families. Then Sam decided that we should take a trip to all the temples. We had a camper van, and so we traveled throughout the United States and stopped at fifteen temples where I had the names and addresses of the families. I also got the names and addresses of families that lived in other countries. The list grew and grew and grew until we might have had about three or four thousand letters going out. I think that is what it came to—many thousands of letters.” “And before you knew it,” Līlāśakti recounts, “the temple gave my parents an apartment on Watseka Avenue, and they started a whole program: Friends of Lord Kṛṣṇa, F.O.L.K.” “We have one mother in Los Angeles of a girl named Līlāśakti,” Rāmeśvara told Śrīla Prabhupāda. “She’s a big book distributor. And her mother, she loves this movement so much that when the deprogrammers start debating us, she stands up and yells at them that ‘My daughter was on drugs, hippie, before she came to this movement. This movement has saved her. If I had known about this movement when I was a young girl, I would have joined this movement!’ On television she’s speaking like that, very strongly: ‘You have no right to criticize! You don’t know anything about this movement.’ . . . She says, ‘You just come over to my house for lunch and I’ll tell you all about this movement, how nice it is.’ She started this club, Parents for Kṛṣṇa.” And Prabhupāda replied, “Oh, she is very sincere. And her daughter, this Līlāśakti, she’s a wonderful girl. She’s expert in everything.” (Room Conversation, January 20, 1977) *The F.O.L.K Newsletter Begins* Rāmeśvara directed one of the Los Angeles devotees, Kaumodakī Dāsī, to assist Rose with the program. “She is going to do a newsletter to help parents understand what their kids are doing,” he said. “Maybe we can break some of the ice between the devotees and their parents. She needs somebody to help her with the newsletter, with typing, and if she has any philosophical questions. If there are any problems, come to me.” Kaumodakī embraced the opportunity. “I used to go to Rose and Sam’s apartment periodically and help type and answer questions,” she says. “The parents would write in and ask some questions, and Rose and I would discuss what the best way would be to answer them. We had these little cards and a mimeograph machine for doing the envelopes. We did not have computers; it was all typewriters. So, we gradually kept sending out more and more and more. It was a very healing process for a lot of devotees to be able to bridge the gap.” Joined by a few others—Śravaṇānanda Dāsa’s mother, Polly Perlmutter; Jayapatāka Swami’s mother, Lorrie Giblin; Rāmagopāla Dāsa’s mother, Rosemary Tetor; and Caṇḍī Dāsa’s mother, Norma Litwin—Rose sent out an appeal to parents of young devotees. “And after receiving many replies from devotees and parents from centers and cities all over the world,” she remembered, “I wrote a parents’ newsletter. The first copy was sent to Śrīla Prabhupāda, and in his reply, he thanked me for sending it to him and encouraged me to send copies of the letter to all the parents of devotees. He said, ‘If the parents of our devotees study the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, there is no doubt they will benefit equally as their children are now doing.’ There are many parents like myself who were glad of the opportunity to serve God through devotional service in the capacity of parent liaisons. For them and me, I say we are immensely grateful to Śrīla Prabhupāda. His sincere message has increased our intelligence to the enlightenment of God consciousness, and consequently we are benefited by closer association with our children.” *Surrogate Parents* In addition to corresponding with families, Rose—along with Sam—became surrogate parents to young devotees in the Los Angeles community. Jagadambikā Dāsī was just one of the many devotees who appreciated Rose’s support. “She would always encourage us to distribute books. ‘How was your day?’ ‘How are you?’ I have always seen Rose as my mum. Although I have my mother-in-law, we still see Rose as our mother and Sam as our father. No matter what we needed or what time of day it was, whether it was 1 or 2 a.m., it didn’t matter; they were always there for us. No matter how busy they were, they always had time for everyone. Such good listeners.” And partly as a result of their relationships with Rose and Sam—and the clearer and more compassionate perspective of their parents they had gained as a result—devotees in the Los Angeles New Dwarka community were especially welcoming to families. Ūrvaśī Dāsī, who grew up and still had family around L.A., had heard of Rose and thus brought her family to the temple. “The devotees were so kind to the parents that visited,” she told Rose decades later, “and I am sure that is because of your training.” Rose even involved her own mother. “At the age of eighty, she did *saṅkīrtana* on State Street in Santa Barbara,” Rose remembers. “I trained her up!” said Līlāśakti. “What a great man does, common men follow.’ She helped me distribute *Back to Godhead*s, and she wanted to join in. She did good!” “Yes, she did very well,” Rose agreed. “When people tried to give her money for the magazine, she would say, ‘That is not necessary. Just read it.’” *Rose Becomes Rajani Priya Dāsī* On August 19, 2015, I initiated Rose and gave her the name Rajani *Priya* *Dāsī*. In keeping with her nature and service, she had wanted a name that related to motherhood, and Rajani was the name of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mother and is also a name of Durgā, an expansion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī—the divine universal mother. *Priya* means “dear” or “dear to,” and *Dāsī* means “servant” or “servant of.” During the ceremony, Ṛtadhvaja Swami, Niraṣjana Swami, and Indradyumna Swami encouraged Rajani *Priya* via Skype with words of appreciation, affection, and instruction. In 2017, at a celebration of her ninety-seventh birthday, Rajani Priya bestowed her blessing on the devotees present. “I wish all of you and your loved ones, my age and then some, with good health, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, for the rest of your life.” And a year later, when Indradyumna Swami, I, and other devotees visited her at her home, which was just down the road from mine, and Indradyumna Swami led a wonderful *kīrtana*, she exclaimed, “Beautiful. There is a purpose to living, and this is it.” The following year, when I visited Rajani Priya in a convalescent hospital where she was staying temporarily, she described how she was getting staff, patients, and visitors to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, similar to how she would regularly go to the Carpinteria State Beach and give *prasāda* to the homeless people and get them to chant. She would explain the philosophy behind the chanting, give them a piece of paper with the *mahā-mantra* written on it, and show them how to chant. Before I left, she blessed me, “May you live a long life—as long as or longer than me—in good health, so you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and deliver your important message to many more people.” And later in 2018, in the car on the way back to Carpinteria after the L.A. Rathayātrā, she said, “Girirāj, I want to thank you, thank you, thank you so many times for including me in today’s program. I needed it, I wanted it, and you gave it to me, so I must thank you again and again. I’m almost a hundred now. It hasn’t been easy, but I have had wonderful people in my life—especially Prabhupāda, a wonderful man. If I hadn’t lived so long, I wouldn’t have met so many wonderful people. “I cannot tell you how much I enjoy being in the company of devotees chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. I am a very fortunate lady. It was an enjoyable, wonderful day, and I will remember it forever.” At intervals along the way back, she broke into spontaneous singing of Hare Kṛṣṇa, in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s original melody. In the eleven hours since we had picked her up from her home, her energy and enthusiasm had not waned at all; rather, in her ecstatic mood, they seemed to have increased. Twice in February 2020, accompanied by other devotees, I visited Rajani Priya at her home. She was seven months away from her hundredth birthday, but she was mentally and spiritually strong, and we all felt uplifted by her association. She spoke with us about her life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in appreciation of Śrīla Prabhupāda, and she played Hare Kṛṣṇa beautifully on the piano as we all joined in chanting. After Rajani Priya passed away in December of that year, Ṛtadhvaja Swami wrote me, “Rajani Priya was such a wonderful soul who served with such devotion. It is amazing how she was so powerful at a time when our movement needed someone exactly like her, roaring like a lioness on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s behalf. Such souls are surely rare. “I pray—or actually know—that she is with Śrīla Prabhupāda, rendering service in her special way, eternally.” Rose Forkash and her husband, Sam, will forever be remembered and celebrated for the service they rendered young devotees, devotees’ parents, and Śrīla Prabhupāda and ISKCON. “They preached to us about reality,” Jagadambikā appreciated, “and everyone saw Rose as the mother of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.” Girirāj Swami met Sla Prabhupada in Boston in 1969 and spent many years in India. In the early 1970s he oversaw the development of Hare Krishna Land in the Juhu locality of Mumbai. He has written five books, available from the Krishna.com Store and his website: girirajswami.com. Changing the Face of Material Nature by Karuṇā Dhārinī Devī Dāsī *Everything about the Supreme Lord is spiritual, including the so-called material world when viewed with informed and purified vision.* Śrīla Prabhupāda’s earliest disciples became so inspired by hearing his lectures that they wanted to publish them. So they presented some of his 1966 New York lectures as small books. Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged the use of his spoken words to create these books to be “published for distribution to the layman class of men.” This article, the last in a three-part series, is about *Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness*. It is still in print and remains a transformational reading experience. It begins with the most basic principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What follows is a synopsis using the original chapter titles as section headings. *Choosing Human and Animal Lives* We are all spirit souls, parts of the energy of God Himself, and as such we are intended to associate with Him eternally in the spiritual sky. Somehow, many spirit souls now live in this world of matter and inhabit material bodies. Our lifetime in each body ends at death, after which we move on to yet another form. If we study our body, we will come to the conclusion that we are actually not the body but the observer within. So if I study my finger, for example, I can observe that it is but an extension of my body and it is I who am observing the finger. Modern Darwinian theory propounds that at a certain stage organic compounds evolve into life; however, authorized scriptures, such as the *Padma Purāṇa*, say that life is not the result of chemical evolution but is due to the presence of the spirit soul, which travels throughout various species. In the Vedic literature there is immense information about the different species. Though according to Darwin it appears that species are evolving from lower forms to higher ones, Kṛṣṇa conscious education requires us to take notice of the active agent within the body. The soul is exhibiting consciousness within the body, and the soul’s actions, or karma, in the human form of life cause its evolution or devolution into higher or lower species. The human form of life is the best opportunity for elevation to God consciousness. It is a rare opportunity for spiritual practice; it is not meant for gratification of the senses, as we see in the behavior of hogs and dogs. In this regard Śrīla Prabhupāda gives a striking example: Recently we were surprised to see, while walking in Central Park in New York City, that a group of young American boys and girls were engaged in worshiping hogs. While we were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, these groups of youngsters were chanting, “Hog! Hog! Hog!” They were actually parading with hogs in Central Park and bowing down before them and worshiping them. They actually wanted one hog to become president, and they wanted the hogs to lead them. This has gone to such lengths that at one be-in in Seattle there was a demonstration with hogs in which the boys and girls undressed themselves and got in the mud and played with the hogs, and in this way they were associating with the hogs and pigs which they worshiped. All this is going on in a country where the young people have good-looking bodies, a great deal of money and so many other advantages over the young people of other nations. The result of gaining all these advantages is that they have simply taken to hog worship. Such hog worship was anticipated long, long ago and was described in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, which was compiled at least 5,000 years ago. The point is that a beautiful situation in life should be utilized for a beautiful end, not for degraded forms of worship. (*Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness*, Chapter 1) *Hard Struggle for Happiness* We may wonder at the variety of life forms on earth, but in the spiritual sky there are innumerable spiritual planets inhabited by innumerable fully cognizant and blissful living entities. They exist for the sake of *rasa* (tasteful relationship) with the Supreme Lord. The drive for enjoyment and happiness in this world is persistent because we have our origin in that blissful, spiritual world. As minute samples of the Supreme Person, we are by nature cognizant, blissful, and eternal. Our struggles in this world are in fact our attempts to attain that state of eternal, happy existence, but the level of satisfaction here is insignificant by comparison. The kind of happiness we enjoy in this world is simply not suitable to our constitution as eternal spirit souls. Just as a fish is not constituted to live on land, we are not constituted to enjoy the material atmosphere with complete satisfaction. Unfortunately, to chase material happiness we have contrived a huge affair in the form of this godless civilization meant for the gratification of our senses. Numerous affairs of business and industry are conducted and many grand schemes come and go daily to secure money for the guarantee of happiness. As long as we work very hard to gratify our senses while neglecting our constitutional relationship of love for the Supreme Lord, peace will remain far, far away. Although there is no lack of money in the world, there is a scarcity of peace. So much human energy is being diverted to making money, for the general population has increased its capacity to make more and more dollars. In the long run the result is that this unlawful and unrestricted monetary inflation has created a bad economy all over the world and has provoked us to manufacture huge and costly weapons to destroy the very result of such money-making. (*Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness*, Chapter 2) *Toward a Peaceful Society* God is very kind. He has made an arrangement for each living being to be gifted a body to use to fulfill material desires. Like a father who gives his insistent son something that is not good for him, the Supreme Father endows the living entities with whatever they want, and His material nature acts upon them just according to their karma, sending appropriate actions and reactions. By Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement, human society is naturally divided into four classes for efficient, proper administration and distribution of knowledge. In every civilization we find a priestly or intellectual class, a martial or military class, a class of agriculturalists and businesspersons, and a laborer class. These four divisions are the natural, not artificial, classifications of human potential. Society cannot be peaceful or entirely prosperous unless these four classes are working in harmony with one another. The current society is direly in need of a true *brāhmaṇa* class to guide the general people to understand their duty. This is an absolute necessity for the human being, who otherwise has the tendency to work hard simply to exploit nature. The complexities of karma can be avoided by accepting the counsel of those who are well versed in the Vedic understanding, who can direct us to approach Kṛṣṇa. *Knowing Kṛṣṇa as He Is* We do not need to be learned or scholarly to approach Kṛṣṇa; we need only express our feelings. Whether we are Hindu, Moslem, or Christian, we need only acknowledge that there is a supreme controller of the universe. It is interesting to note the conclusion of one European gentleman who visited several temples in Calcutta. In each temple the deity was engaged in some type of activity. He saw the goddess Kālī with her chopper in hand to cut off the heads of demons, which she would then wear, strung into a garland. In other temples he saw other renowned deities engaged in various activities, but when he came to the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, he declared, “In this temple there is God.” When asked how he concluded this, he said, “In every temple, I saw that the deity was engaged in some kind of business, doing something or other, but here I see God simply holding a flute to His lips. He obviously has nothing that He must do.” This is a very intelligent conclusion. Indeed, it is the Vedic conclusion. If we are to know Kṛṣṇa as He is, then we must know that no one but Kṛṣṇa can be God. No one has His qualifications. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, “O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests on Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” (*Gītā* 7.7) By His energies the immense planetary systems are afloat, yet He remains aloof, engaged in His pleasure pastimes elsewhere. That is God. The Supreme Personality does not need to do anything personally, for He has such potencies that anything He wants done will be done perfectly well through the control of material nature. His determination is itself actual fact. *Knowing Kṛṣṇa’s Energies* We think in terms of good/bad, hot/cold, pleasant/unpleasant in this material world. However, Kṛṣṇa’s energies, although multifarious, are not in fact superior or inferior. He does not manifest inferior energy because He is never inferior. Kṛṣṇa’s potencies are always supreme. For example, an electrician produces cool air or hot air by means of the same electricity, or the government maintains a grand city hall alongside a jail. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa’s energies can act in a variety of ways. Still those energies always remain absolutely spiritual. The potency of *māyā*, or Kṛṣṇa’s illusory material energy, is always working under His direction, and she facilitates the conditioned living beings to experience Kṛṣṇa’s material energy according to His plan. Yet from Kṛṣṇa’s perspective, all of it is pure, and Māyā Devī is His pure-devotee representative. From the perspective of the soul entrapped in the illusory energy there is tremendous duality of enjoyment and suffering. By practicing the methods for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, we can become released from the experience of duality. When we know Kṛṣṇa perfectly, all of the distractions of inferior and superior will disappear. *Taking to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness* When Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He proved through His amazing energies that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By His opulence and activities, He delighted His devotees and defeated His naysayers. It may be fashionable to try to debate about who or what is God, but this is not necessary. By studying *Bhagavad-gītā* we can easily understand that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority. He descended on earth to speak *Bhagavad-gītā* to a soldier, Arjuna, just to make Himself readily understandable for the layperson. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa descends personally, and sometimes He descends in the form of various incarnations, such as Rāma and Nṛsiṁha. Sometimes He descends as a sound vibration, and sometimes in the form of His own devotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself in the form of a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He is the golden avatar who has descended to teach the transcendental sound vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. He has also come to teach the practice of loving devotional service to the Lord. Theoretical knowledge and negation of activities as propounded by Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya may be effective for a tiny section of the human society, but the best and surest way for everyone to attain spiritual bliss was propounded by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—that is, devotional service, starting with the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Such devotional activity can change the very face of material nature. *Conclusion* Thus we come to the conclusion of the last article in a set of three summarizing ISKCON’s original small books. They present a series of lectures, but much more than that, a revolutionary message that inspired those who first heard it. By studying this message, we get a closer look at the mastery of the spiritual master who is the life of the ISKCON mission. Satsvarūpa dāsa Goswami describes the times in which the lectures were given: The summer of 1966 moved into August, and Prabhupāda kept good health. For him these were happy days. . . . Work on the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* was going on regularly now since he had moved into the Second Avenue apartment. And now Kṛṣṇa was bringing these sincere young men who were cooking, typing, hearing him regularly, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and asking for more. Prabhupāda was still a solitary preacher, free to stay or go, writing his books in his own intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa—quite independent of the boys in the storefront. But now he had the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as his spiritual child. The inquiring young men, some of whom had already been chanting steadily for over a month, were like stumbling spiritual infants, and Prabhupāda felt responsible for guiding them. They were beginning to consider him their spiritual master, trusting him to lead them into spiritual life. Although they were unable to immediately follow the multifarious rules that *brāhmaṇas* and Vaiṣṇavas in India followed, he was hopeful. According to Rūpa Gosvāmī the most important principle was that one should “somehow or other” become Kṛṣṇa conscious. People should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and render devotional service. Now these boys would engage whatever they had in the service of Kṛṣṇa and Prabhupāda, exercising this basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the furthest limit the history of Vaiṣṇavism had ever seen. (*Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta*, Vol. 2) Śrīla Prabhupāda told his young students that sincere and careful hearing from a bona fide spiritual master is naturally followed by repetition in the form of chanting or speaking. In this case, the tendency to hear from Prabhupāda resulted in the composing and publishing of many books both for the serious student and for mass distribution to the layperson. This effort continues to this day, with strong impact wherever it is carried out, no matter the language, from Europe to India, from Russia to China, from South America to Africa. Such devotional activity can change the very face of material nature. *Sidebar: The Big Mṛdaṅga* by Karuṇā Dhārinī Devī Dāsī In 1966 many young Americans were mobilized into a variety of political and social reform movements. However, those who heard from Śrīla Prabhupāda received transcendental knowledge and were inspired by a core requirement plainly missing in the lives of other Americans. In *History of ISKCON Press*, an article published on iskcondesiretree.com, Svarūpa Dāsa writes: “Tiffany Place [where ISKCON Press was located] was about five blocks from the Henry Street temple. It wasn’t the best area from a material point of view, but for me, it was like being in the spiritual world. It was a full press set up, managed by Jayadvaita and Radhavallabha, and an art studio, managed by Jadurani. Of course, Prabhupada came to see it, both when it was being initially fixed up, I believe in ’71, and also in ’73, when he inspected it thoroughly. We mainly worked on the little books there, Raja-vidya: The King of Knowledge; The Perfection of Yoga; Beyond Birth and Death; Easy Journey; and two or three others. I would stay late into the night working with a paper cutter, taking the huge sheets of book covers, maybe a dozen on one sheet, and cutting them into book-size covers. We worked there around the clock, taking prasadam there and listening to Prabhupada tapes.” In an email to me, BTG associate editor Satyarāja Dāsa wrote, “I was living at the Henry Street temple in 1973 when many of the books came out. There was excitement in the air. We did it all at the press on Tiffany Place—design, layout, cutting covers, stitching the inside of the book. I remember working late into the night and taking rest on a stack of covers at the press—that would become the Raja Vidya book! Then we would go out onto NYC subways and distribute them.” I spoke with Balāi Dāsī, another ISKCON Press worker. “Temples were opening one by one, and we needed a larger location to house ISKCON Press. In the meanwhile, Advaita Dāsa, Vaikuṇṭhanātha Dāsa, Uddhava Dāsa, Madhusūdana Dāsa, and Patita Pāvaṇa Dāsa took internships to learn the art of printing for Kṛṣṇa. Advaita learned the printing press, Vaikuṇṭha learned book binding, Uddhava learned photography and the stripping procedure, Patita Pāvaṇa learned the folding machines. “When the Press was moved to the improved location on Beacon Street in Boston, His Divine Grace came to visit. Before even entering the temple, he entered the Press room. He was very glad, and he said, ‘*Jaya oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata śrī śrīmad bhaktisiddhānta sarasvatī gosvāmī prabhupāda ki jaya!* My Guru Mahārāja would be very pleased!’ “Śrīla Prabhupāda was very determined to have the Second Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* in print. ISKCON Press at that time could only produce small books, so we composed and printed the Second Canto for him chapter by chapter in a small-book format.” Along with the Press’s move to Boston, Śrīla Prabhupāda relocated Brahmānanda Dāsa, the president of New York temple, there to manage the new facility. As his secretary, Svarūpa Dāsa joined him there. “The highlight of Prabhupada’s visit to Boston,” recalls Svarūpa Dāsa in *History of ISKCON Press*, “was when he was given a tour of the new Press facilities. Prabhupada commented, ‘This is the heart of our movement.’ Brahmananda spoke up and said, ‘You are the heart of our movement, Srila Prabhupada.’ After all the shouts of “Jaya Srila Prabhupada” and “Haribol” died down, Prabhupada then motioned toward the press and said, ‘Ah . . . but this is my heart.’ He also explained to us how his guru maharaja called the printing press ‘the big mrdanga.’ For spreading the Sankirtan Movement the mrdanga drum could be heard for some distance, but the printing press could be heard around the world.” The three small books described in the series I’ve presented here were compiled and edited by Hayagrīva Dāsa and first published in 1973. They have been translated into many foreign languages and have continued as favorites for distribution by devotee book distributors around the globe for nearly sixty years. Their distribution in America alone totals approximately 627,500 copies. *Karuṇā Dhārinī Devī Dāsī, a disciple of His Grace Vīrabāhu Dāsa, serves the deities at ISKCON Los Angeles, where she joined ISKCON in 1979. She has also been distributing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books since her earliest days in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. She lives with her husband and daughter.* How to Train the Dragon Called the Mind by Nāraṅgī Devī Dāsī *We need to tame this dangerous creature within us, transforming it from foe to friend.* A dragon is a legendary, fantasy creature often described as vicious, incredibly powerful, and extremely formidable. It is an enormous, unbelievably strong, winged beast that can soar through the skies. It shows its anger by breathing fire and can burn its opponents to ashes. The fire-breathing dragon is a symbol of immense, extraordinary power. Taming or making friends with such a creature can be quite daunting, to say the least. Therefore, anyone who can control or befriend it will inevitably be exceptionally powerful and have no enemies. Anyone who succeeds in taming a dragon earns the glory of soaring through the skies on its back—unrivaled, undaunted, and fearless. *Our Own Pet Dragon* Each of us possesses an untamed, stubborn, fire-breathing dragon. With its power to destroy us if left unruly and untrained, it is just as vicious as the dragon of fables. We call it the mind. Even though it is invisible to us, the untrained mind is a formidable opponent that seeks to degrade and destroy the soul (living entity, *jīva*) by leading it astray from real, spiritual duties. An untrained mind causes the *jīva* to neglect its responsibility for self-realization in the human form of life, causing persistent distress and continued entrapment in the cycle of birth and death. A *jīva* with an uncontrolled mind is constantly distracted from the most essential purpose of human life and is referred to in *Śrī Īśopaniṣad* (Mantra 3) as *ātma-hā*: > asuryā nāma te lokā > andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ > tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti > ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ “The killer of the soul [*ātmā-hā*], whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance.” Arjuna, the mighty warrior and the friend and devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, confirms in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (6.34) that the mind is incredibly difficult to restrain. > caṣcalaṁ hi manaḥ Kṛṣṇa > pramāthi balavad dṛḍham > tasyāha nigrahaṁ manye > vāyor iva su-duṣkaram “The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate, and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.” Therefore, the mind needs to be tamed and brought under control so that it becomes our friend and well-wisher. Befriending the mind ensures that we will never be the target of this fire-breathing dragon. *Three Functions of the Mind* *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, the topmost devotional literature, confirms that all problems are created by the mind. > dvija uvāca > nāyaṁ jano me sukha-duḥkha-hetur > na devatātmā graha-karma-kālāḥ > manaḥ paraṁ kāraṇam āmananti > saṁsāra-cakraṁ parivartayed yat “The *brahmaṇa* said: These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life.” (*Bhāgavatam* 11.23.42) Therefore, to understand the functions of the mind is essential. It has three main ones: thinking, feeling, and willing. *Thinking* Thinking becomes harmful when it leads to overthinking, such as: • imagining problems to be much bigger than they are • creating monsters in our heads • overcomplicating situations • misreading people’s intentions • creating stories to delude ourselves Overthinking tends to lead to feelings of misery, anxiety, and fear of people and situations. *Feeling* Due to our experiences, perceptions, impressions, etc., when confronted with different situations we feel certain emotions, such as love, warmth, kindness, hatred, anger, or fear. When scriptural knowledge shapes our sentiments, however, we are protected from being swayed by excessive attachments or unnecessary aversions to the temporary situations of this world. Otherwise, we feel overburdened by the baggage of unnecessary emotions that make us inefficient and impede our good judgment. *Willing* Desires arise from previous conditioning and unfulfilled tendencies. Thus we perform certain actions to fulfill those desires. Too many desires cause excessive, unnecessary, wasteful activities that distract us from our core purpose. We can control and purify desires by regulation, by not entertaining all the desires proposed by the mind, and by cutting back on unwanted/wasteful desires and catering to useful/spiritual ones. An uncontrolled mind’s desires are insatiable, and trying to fulfill them is like trying to fill a bottomless pit. In summary, we need to understand the nature of the mind—the overthinking, overemotional, over-desirous beast that, unless restrained, threatens to destroy our peace and our spiritual progress. *The Hierarchy of Control* As described by the ancient Vedic wisdom-texts, the following hierarchy of control should be exercised within our gross body and subtle body: soul–intelligence–mind–senses. The soul (*ātmā*) should control the intelligence, which in turn should control the mind, which should control the senses. However, when there’s a lack of training, knowledge, and restraint, the order is reversed: Impure senses impose on the mind to fulfill various desires, the untamed mind overpowers the dull intelligence, and the agitated senses and confused mind cause immense struggle for the soul. Lord Kṛṣṇa confirms the impact of impure or uncontrolled senses on distracting the mind: > yatato hy api kaunteya > puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ > indriyāṇi pramāthīni > haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ “The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.” (*Gītā* 2.60) *Attack the Mind from Both Sides* A sharpened intelligence will overcome the mind and guide it in the right direction, and purified senses will not distract the mind from the temptations of this world. On the other hand, a weak intelligence will get overpowered by the mind, and impure senses will impose on the mind to fulfill their demands. Therefore, strengthening the intelligence and weakening of demands of the senses by *practice* and *detachment* are the key to controlling the mind. *The Art of Taming the Dragon* In the *Bhagavad-gītā* (6.35) Lord Kṛṣṇa mentions these two principal techniques to train the mind: > śrī-bhagavān uvāca > asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho > mano durnigrahaṁ calam > abhyāsena tu kaunteya > vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate “Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.” (*Gītā* 6.35) *Practice* (*abhyāsa*) We must practice engaging the mind on something more attractive than the temporary allurements of this world. Chanting the holy names of the Lord is direct engagement of the mind. We engage both the mind and the intelligence by focusing on the Lord’s forms, qualities, pastimes, and instructions when we read or hear the scriptures. We engage our senses by serving the Lord’s devotees through various services and projects. *Detachment* (*vairāgya*) Detachment means withdrawing from the temporary and avoiding contamination by protecting the senses, mind, and intelligence from allurements. We detach the mind from the distractions of this world by withdrawing it from unnecessary temptations. This is aided by regulated eating, sleeping, and other activities. We gently pull the mind away from drifting toward negative thoughts, useless desires, unnecessary fears, and imaginary anxieties. We withdraw the intelligence by avoiding impure association, including worldly people and excessive news, social media, and time-wasting internet use. *A Beautiful Mind* A trained mind will act as one’s friend because it elevates the soul and helps it achieve the perfection of life, which is transcendence and ultimately the supreme destination, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s abode. The former fire-breathing beastly mind will now help us—the soul—tackle any obstacles and destroy our enemies in the forms of vices, impure habits, our lower nature, or useless desires. An untrained, uncontrolled mind, on the other hand, is an enemy, turned against the soul and a hindrance to achieving perfection. It causes fears, distractions, delusion, depression, and anxiety and leads to the degradation and downfall of the soul. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* (6.6): > bandhur ātmātmanas tasya > yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ > anātmanas tu śatrutve > vartetātmaiva śatru-vat “For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.” Therefore, when the soul tames and befriends the mind, the mind—like a well-trained dragon—does the bidding of the soul and helps it soar through the skies, reach unbelievable heights, perform incredible tasks, and subdue its opponents in the form of unnecessary thoughts, disturbing emotions, and wasteful desires. Let us not waste any time. Rather, let us incorporate the principles of practice and detachment to train the dragon known as the mind. *Nāraṅgī Devī Dāsī and her husband, Nāgara Candra Dāsa, both physicians, are disciples of His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa. They live in Jackson, Tennessee, where there is no ISKCON temple, but they lead a small congregation of devotees for classes, home programs, festivals, and book distribution. She writes a blog at https://narangi.substack.com.* Bhaktivinoda Asan by Purīdāsa Dāsa *You may be unfamiliar with its name, but maybe you’ve heard of its more famous address: 1, Ultadanga Junction Road.* A certain old house in Kolkata has great historical and spiritual significance for ISKCON and its predecessor, Sri Gaudiya Math. Devotees in ISKCON have restored the building and opened it to the public. To fully appreciate its glory, we need to understand its history. *The Roots of ISKCON* ISKCON is the modern version of the original *saṅkīrtana* movement inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Bengal some five hundred years ago. The *saṅkīrtana* movement aims to spread the practice of congregationally chanting the holy names of the Lord. From many predictions in different scriptures, we reasonably conclude that Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared as Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and spread *saṅkīrtana* all over India. But most amazingly, He predicted that *saṅkīrtana* would spread to every town and village of the world. For almost a century after Lord Caitanya’s departure from this world, the *saṅkīrtana* movement was successfully led by a group of extremely erudite and spiritually advanced saints. They enriched Mahāprabhu’s teachings with their tireless philosophical, scriptural, commentarial, and historical writings and by the unparalleled example of their own practice. But soon after them, the mass propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness drastically diminished. In their place, sentimental people who disregarded even basic standards of morality claimed to be followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whose pure teachings were being practiced among a few solitary saints but were practically invisible to people in general. This situation continued almost for 250 years, until the appearance of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (1838–1914). *Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura* Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a highly educated Bengali scholar. By occupation, he was a deputy magistrate, functioning under the British empire, and by heart, he was a revolutionary Vaiṣṇava, a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. After some early spiritual searching and studies, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was convinced that the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are the most sublime. He found them to be philosophically undefeatable, completely satisfying to the heart, in line with all revealed Vedic scriptures, and although very lofty, relevant for even beginners in spiritual life because the devotional practices they prescribe can be joyfully performed by all classes of people. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura tirelessly wrote many books; he discovered many of the places of the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; he corresponded with numerous philosophers, theologians, leaders, scholars, and professors of his time; he sent books to university libraries in foreign countries; and he envisioned a worldwide movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although he felt helpless to execute this mammoth task on his own. Therefore he prayed to the Lord for an able assistant. In answer to his prayers, in 1874 an extraordinary son was born to him and his wife, Bhagavati Devi. They named him Bimala Prasad Dutta. *Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura* From very childhood, through different incidents it was evident that Bimala Prasad was an empowered personality, not an ordinary boy. As he grew, he excelled in both spiritual and worldly education. In 1905, at age 31, Bimala Prasad took a vow to chant a billion holy names of the Lord (by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* on beads) before starting his missionary work. It took him nine years to complete his vow. In 1914, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura passed away. And in 1918, Bimala Prasad accepted *sannyāsa*, the renounced order of life, to carry out the massive mission left by his father. He became known as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Mahārāja. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had reached out to many people and had much influence, but he didn’t start an institution. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī understood that it is not possible for one devotee or a few devotees to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, in every town and village. Rather, it requires an organized effort by many persons for a prolonged period. Therefore, on the very day of his accepting *sannyāsa*, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati established the Sri Caitanya Math in Mayapur, West Bengal, the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. *Beginning at 1, Ultadanga Junction Road* Simultaneously, he felt the need to preach in Calcutta. In those days Mayapur was remote and surrounded by jungle, whereas Calcutta was a fashionable metropolis throbbing with cultural and intellectual verve. With his two primary disciples—Kuṣjabihārī Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu and Ananta Vāsaudeva Prabhu—Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī searched for a suitable building. Their search finally ended at 1, Ultadanga Junction Road, in the heart of the city. It was a house a few blocks south of Kuṣjabihārī Prabhu’s residence, and Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura would stay there during his visits to Calcutta. Kuṣjabihārī Prabhu rented the property for Rs. 50 a month, which was quite a significant amount in those days. The rent was initially being fully paid by Kuṣjabihārī Prabhu from his meager salary as a post office clerk of the British Raj. Later, when it became difficult for him to pay the full rent, an arrangement was made for three devotee families to occupy the ground floor for Rs. 25, and the other Rs. 25 would be given by Kuṣjabihārī Prabhu. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī lived in the single room adjacent to the open terrace, where he held discourses. Soon the building became known among his followers as Bhaktivinoda Asan (“the place of Bhaktivinoda”) and was the hive of an inchoate preaching movement. *Bhaktivinoda Asan (1918–1930)* From the very beginning, Bhaktivinoda Asan was the main base of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s preaching efforts. During his twelve years there, he established several big and small temples in various parts of India and Bangladesh. On September 6, 1920, on Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, he installed a large deity of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and small deities of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, whom he named Śrī Śrī Gāndharvā-Giridhārī. From that day onward, Sri Bhaktivinoda Asan was formally named Sri Gaudiya Math. Once it became Sri Gaudiya Math, the three devotee families living there moved elsewhere. Many international scholars, religionists, politicians, kings, wealthy landowners of different states, and other influential persons met Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura there. In June 1927, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda’s Bengali journal *Śrī Sajjana-Toṣaṇī* was first published in English there as *The Harmonist*. The Kolkata English daily newspapers *Amrita Bazar Patrika* and *The Bengali* regularly featured the activities of Sri Gaudiya Math in their publications. At Bhaktivinoda Asan, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura met many young men who would become his prominent and leading disciples. Thus their spiritual journeys began there. Bhakivinoda Asan was the headquarters of Sri Gaurdiya Math until a new temple was built in the Bagbazar section of Calcutta. *A Very Special Meeting in 1922* Among all of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s meetings with guests, one is very special for members of ISKCON—and, in fact, for the whole world. That was his meeting with Abhay Charan De, later known as Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the founder-*ācārya* of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. One evening of 1922, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura met this enthusiastic young man, Abhay Charan De, who had been reluctant to come and was almost forcefully brought there by his friend Narendranath Mullik. In the very first meeting, on the terrace at Bhaktivinoda Asan, young Abhay Charan De got a prophetic instruction from his spiritual master: “You are educated young men. Why don’t you preach Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message throughout the whole world?” This one instruction changed the trajectory of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s life. He was initiated by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī in 1933 and accepted *vānaprastha* (retired life) in 1954 and *sannyāsa* (renounced life) in 1959. Finally, in 1965, at age 69, he arrived in New York City, and after a year’s effort, established ISKCON in 1966. Through ISKCON, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is being vigorously spread all over the world, fulfilling the prediction of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. ISKCON’s entire development is the fructification of the seed of instruction received in the heart of young Abhay Charan De at Bhaktivinoda Asan. Therefore it can be said to be the spiritual birthplace of ISKCON. *The Later History* On October 5, 1930, a grand deity-installation ceremony took place at the newly built colossal temple of the Gaudiya Math in the Bagbazar section of Calcutta. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the mayor of the city at that time, was one of the invited guests. After the Bagbazar Gaudiya Math became functional, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and his followers moved there. The rented house at 1, Ultadanga Junction Road was the property of a deity named Śrīdhara Ṭhākurajiu. By Indian law, deities can own property. The trustees of Śrīdhar Ṭhākurajiu rented the building to three tenants, and their later generations stayed there for many years, thus protecting the property. Most the original buildings around Bhaktivinoda Asan were gradually demolished and replaced by new ones, but by Kṛṣṇa’s inconceivable arrangement, Bhaktivinoda Asan remained intact, although the address of the building was changed. Instead of Ultadanga Junction Road, it is now Gauri Bari Lane, a name that derives from Gaudiya Bari, or “residence of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas.” *ISKCON’s Involvement* In 2003, two enthusiastic devotees from ISKCON’s Padayātrā (“walking pilgrimage”) wing were visiting the places of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s pastimes in Kolkata. Until then, this building had never been identified or frequented by ISKCON devotees. After a hard endeavor, with help from a Gaudiya Math *sannyāsī* and old pictures of the Gaudiya Math, they were able to identify the building. They brought one of the few living disciples of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, Lalitā Maṣjarī Devī Dāsī, there in a car, and she identified the terrace and living quarters of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura beyond doubt. The entire terrace was filled with naturally grown *tulasī* plants. When the devotees were happily leaving, they learned that the building had been sold to a developer and might be demolished within a week. They rushed to ISKCON Kolkata and told the devotees there everything they had learned. ISKCON Kolkata got involved, and by their earnest endeavor, the devotees there convinced the developer of the historic significance of the building, and he cancelled his plan to demolish it. In 2008, the building officially came into the hands of ISKCON from the Śrīdhar Ṭhākurajiu Trust. Some tenants still resided there, but finally, in 2018, after ten years of dynamic endeavor, it came fully under ISKCON. The tenants were given just compensation and substitute flats. By that time, the building had also received status as a national heritage building. *Revived to Its Original Glory* After the property came into the hands of ISKCON, massive renovation work began in such a way that each part of the building could be preserved as it was at the time of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Even the ingredients and technology used a hundred years ago were used to keep everything as it was. Finally, on February 21, 2022, on the 148th appearance-day anniversary of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and a hundred years after the glorious meeting between Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī and his dear disciple Śrīla Prabhupāda, the renovated Bhaktivinoda Asan was opened for the worldwide community of devotees. Later in the same year, on September 1, on the anniversary of the appearance of Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī (consort of Advaita Ācārya Prabhu), the *pratibhū vigrahas* (representative deities) of the original Gāndharvā-Giridhārī were installed. Bhaktivinoda Asan functions as an outreach center of ISKCON Kolkata. It has achieved much appreciation from visiting devotees worldwide for its mesmerizing ambience, exquisite interior, amazing preservation, and depiction of its history. In the words of one devotee visitor, “It’s a spiritual time-machine.” *Purīdāsa Dāsa, disciple of His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami, came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in 2012, the year he earned a degree in engineering. In 2016, he joined ISKCON’s Rādhā-Govinda temple, Kolkata, full-time. He teaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness to youth, serves as a* pūjārī*, and conducts a Bhakti-śāstrī course.* The author gratefully acknowledges his debt to the following resources: *Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Vaibhava*, by Bhakti Vikāsa Swami *Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta*, by Satsvarūpa dāsa Goswami The research work of Sundara Gopāla Dāsa, Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, Kolkata The recollections of Kṛṣṇānanda Dāsa of the India Padayātrā team and Anaṅga Mohana Dāsa and Rādhāramaṇa Dāsa of ISKCON Kolkata Istanbul Airport: The Cry of the Lost Child by Rāgānuga Bhaktimān Dāsa *“The boy’s anguished cries . . . serve as a powerful reminder of our own spiritual journey.”* On August 14, 2024, I was returning from Istanbul, Turkey, to Bahrain after attending a three-day business conference. I collected my boarding pass from the check-in counter and was standing in the queue for cabin-baggage screening. The airport was a vibrant tapestry of humanity, a melting pot of cultures, languages, and emotions. Passengers of various nationalities moved about, each with their own story and purpose. Some were dressed in their finest, engaging in animated conversations with friends and relatives, their laughter filling the air. Others, in stark contrast, wore serious expressions, their minds heavy with concerns. Elderly individuals appeared lost in thought, while families with children radiated love and affection as they navigated through the bustling terminal. Amid this dynamic scene, a sudden high-decibel scream pierced through the ambient noise. The source of this distressing sound was a young boy, no older than five, whose frantic cries drew the attention of everyone around him. His distress was palpable; his tiny frame shook with the intensity of his emotions. It quickly became clear that this was not merely a tantrum but a profound, raw reaction to a deeply unsettling situation. The boy’s parents, caught up in the chaotic rush of the airport, had inadvertently left him behind. The separation was unintentional but devastatingly effective. The boy’s cries of “Go away! Go away!” were both a plea for his parents and a rejection of the alien comfort being offered to him. The security police attempted to calm him, but their efforts were met with more vehement protests. As the commotion attracted more spectators, a Turkish woman clad in a traditional abaya approached the boy with compassionate intent. She opened her purse and presented him with a chocolate, hoping to soothe him. The boy, in a show of defiance and anger, threw the chocolate away with all his might. The woman, undeterred, then tried to engage him with a toy car that had a siren. Her attempt was met with immediate resistance as the boy kicked the toy with ferocity. The scene unfolded with mounting tension. Despite the collective efforts of those around him, the boy’s anguish only intensified. His face was a canvas of emotions—anger, frustration, helplessness, and hopelessness. His eyes spoke volumes, asking, “How could you do this? How could you leave me alone?” The crowd, though well-meaning, seemed powerless against the boy’s overwhelming need for his parents. As I stood in line, waiting to proceed through the baggage screening, the boy’s cries echoed through the terminal, tugging at my heartstrings. The intensity of his distress was unprecedented in my experience, and I felt a deep sadness and emotional resonance. I prayed fervently for his swift reunion with his parents, wishing for the distressing situation to end. *Yearning for the Divine* My path took me next to a bookstore within the airport. I sought distraction in the form of literature, yet the boy’s wails persisted in the background, a constant reminder of his suffering. In the midst of my browsing, an epiphany struck me with the force of a thunderbolt. Have I ever cried out for God with such desperation? Have I ever yearned for the Divine with the same intensity and helplessness that this child displayed for his parents? The boy’s disinterest in chocolates and toys, and his sole focus on reuniting with his parents, struck me deeply. His singular desire was to be with his parents, and nothing else could appease him. This poignant scene mirrored a profound spiritual truth. Just as the boy’s need for his parents overshadowed all other distractions, so too should our yearning for God surpass our attachment to the fleeting pleasures of this world. We often chase after transient pleasures such as wealth, power, and recognition, yet find ourselves unfulfilled. Despite our achievements, we grapple with anxiety, depression, and a sense of incompleteness. The *Bhagavad-gītā* provides valuable insight into this very struggle. In Chapter 15, verse 7, Lord Kṛṣṇa explains: “The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to their conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” This verse highlights the eternal nature of our souls and the struggle we face due to our material attachments. Just as the boy’s longing for his parents eclipsed all other desires, our intrinsic nature craves a connection with the Divine, our eternal source of satisfaction and peace. In the *Gītā*, Lord Kṛṣṇa further elucidates the nature of worldly pleasures and their impermanence. Chapter 5, verse 22, states: “An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kuntī, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.” The boy’s rejection of chocolates and toys, along with his sole focus on finding his parents, serves as a metaphor for our own spiritual journey. We often get sidetracked by material comforts, forgetting that true contentment comes from reconnecting with our spiritual essence. The stories of great devotees from Vedic texts exemplify this yearning for the Divine. Gajendra, the elephant king, cried out to Lord Viṣṇu in his hour of need, expressing a desperation akin to the boy’s cries. His heartfelt plea led to his salvation and liberation from his troubles. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja, and Kuntī Devī demonstrated unwavering devotion and cried out to the Lord in their moments of profound need. Their cries were met with divine embrace and spiritual elevation. The *Bhagavad-gītā* (9.22) reassures us of the Lord’s promise to provide for His devotees: “But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.” This verse assures that our sincere and desperate call to the Divine will not go unanswered. Just as the boy’s cries for his parents would eventually be met with their arrival, our sincere longing for God will be fulfilled with His divine presence and grace. *Calling Out for Our Reunion* The boy’s anguished cries at Istanbul Airport serve as a powerful reminder of our own spiritual journey. His intense desire to be with his parents highlights the profound need we all have for our spiritual source. In our pursuit of worldly pleasures, we often lose sight of our true purpose and spiritual heritage. Yet, just as the boy’s reunion with his parents was inevitable, so too is our reunion with the Divine when we call out to Him with genuine devotion and yearning. In the *Bhagavad-gītā*, Lord Kṛṣṇa invites us to cultivate a relationship with Him, to transcend our material attachments, and to rediscover our divine nature. Chapter 18, verse 66, offers a profound message: “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” This verse calls us to surrender to the Divine, to abandon our attachment to worldly concerns, and to trust in His protective and nurturing presence. Just as the boy’s only solace lay in reuniting with his parents, our ultimate fulfillment lies in our reestablishing the lost connection with God. As we reflect on the boy’s experience and our own spiritual aspirations, let us strive to remember our eternal father, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Let us cry out to Him with the same intensity and purity of heart, seeking His embrace and guidance. In doing so, we align ourselves with our true spiritual nature and step onto the path of lasting peace and fulfillment. The journey to reconnect with the Divine is not mere ritualistic practice but a profound transformation of the heart and soul. Just as the boy’s cries were a manifestation of his deep need for his parents, our longing for God should be a sincere and earnest quest for spiritual reunion. In this pursuit, we find our true self and achieve the ultimate happiness that transcends the temporary pleasures of this world. *Rāgānuga Bhaktimān Dāsa is a disciple of His Holiness Jayapatāka Swami. Originally from India, he currently resides and works in Bahrain.* My Daily Char Dhama Pilgrimage by Revatī Vallabha Dāsa *Śrīla Prabhupāda has given us all we need in order to reap the most valuable benefits of pilgrimage without leaving home.* In the year 2005, when I was twenty-five, I quit my highly placed software job and joined an ISKCON temple in Mumbai full time. My confused parents sought astrological help. Studying my horoscope, the astrologer shared his readings with them. “Your son is one of your ancestors. In his past life he did pilgrimage several times by foot to Badrinath. In one such pilgrimage, he met an accidental death. In this life he is resuming his spiritual journey.” Situated in the Himalayas, Badrinath is one of the most ancient and prominent temples of Lord Viṣṇu. It is among a group of four places of pilgrimage in India known as Char Dhama. The Hindi words *chār* and *dhāma* respectively mean “four” and “holy places.” The designation of these four particular holy places as Char Dhama is believed to have originated with Ādi Saṅkarācārya. They are located in the four directions: Badrinath (Badarinātha) in the north, Ramesvaram (Rāmeśvaram) in the south, Puri (Jagannātha Purī) in the east, and Dwarka (Dvārakā) in the west. While this is referred to as the bigger circuit, another group of four holy places makes up a smaller circuit—Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri—all in the Himalayas. Badrinath is part of both circuits. The scriptures and the *ācāryas* glorify the potency and importance of the holy *dhāmas.* I, too, love to visit the holy places, and I get inspired there. However, my Char Dhama—my favorite four holy places—are the *Bhagavad-gītā*, *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, *Caitanya-caritāmṛtā*, and *The Nectar of Devotion*, the four most prominent books that Śrīla Prabhupāda translated and gave wonderful purports to. *Mental Satisfaction* I might have done several pilgrimages to Badrinath in my last life. In this life, however, even though born and brought up in North India and thus being not very far away from Badrinath, I haven’t done one yet, nor do I desire to. Hearing from Śrīla Prabhupāda and other authorized sources can help us in considering the value of pilgrimages in general. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport to *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 4.6.25, “Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great *ācārya* of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava *sampradāya,* advises us not to travel to different places of pilgrimage. Undoubtedly, it is troublesome to go from one place to another, but one who is intelligent can take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda and thereby be automatically sanctified as the result of his pilgrimage.” Addressing the same point, Śrīla Prabhupāda also said, “Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says in his song, *tīrtha-yātrā pariśrama, kevala manera bhrama*. He says, ‘To go to the holy places of pilgrimage, it is also a mental satisfaction.’” (Lecture on *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 1.13.10, June 1, 1974, Geneva) What can we see of the holy places with our ordinary material eyes and our vision filtered by our conditioned mind, intelligence, and false ego? We see *dhāmas* becoming picnic destinations and real-estate investment hotspots for opportunists. We see liquor shops. We hear movie songs blasting from multistory apartment buildings. To visit any of the holy places, one incurs much expense for food, travel, and accommodations. And the journeys tax one’s health, especially for the elderly. In some of India’s holy places, the summers are too hot and the winters too cold. That’s why everyone wants to visit these places in the few months when the weather is suitable. But at these times the places become overcrowded and expensive. Several popular holy places in India and Nepal are high up in the mountains with steep climbs on narrow roads. Pilgrims have lost their lives on such arduous journeys—I being one such case, if the astrologer’s reading about my last life is correct. Pilgrims have drowned in holy rivers. One also risks knowingly or unknowingly committing *aparādhas*, offenses, in the *dhāma,* jeopardizing one’s spiritual progress. *Dhāmas* are also a supermarket of numerous gurus and their spiritual organizations. Unfortunately, most of them don’t have practices and philosophical conclusions as presented by our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava *ācāryas,* especially Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa writes, > nāsti citte harir yasya > tasya tīrthāṭanaṁ mudhā > asti citte harir yasya > tasya tīrthāṭanaṁ mudhā “For a person who does not have Hari in his consciousness, his wandering around in holy places is useless, and for a person who has Hari in his consciousness, his wandering around in holy places is useless.” (*Sāhitya-kaumudi*) This verse doesn’t deny the potency or importance of holy places. But it teasingly tries to elucidate that consciousness is even more important. We tend to focus more on externals and are less aware or give less importance to our internal state. On the path of *bhakti*, having proper internal consciousness is cardinal. A devotee residing, say, in the US or UK might always be thinking of the holy places in India, while another devotee, say, a resident of Mayapur or Vrindavan, might always be thinking of visiting and settling in the US or UK. I conclude this section with this striking information found in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport to *Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya* 16.281: The *prākṛta-sahajiyās* proclaim themselves *vraja-vāsīs* or *dhāma-vāsīs,* but they are mainly engaged in sense gratification. Thus they become more and more implicated in the materialistic way of life. Those who are pure devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness condemn their activities. The eternal *vraja-vāsīs* like Svarūpa Dāmodara did not even come to Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Śivānanda Sena, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, Śrī Śikhi Māhiti, Śrī Mādhavīdevī and Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī never visited Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura points out that we have no authorized documents stating that these exalted personalities visited Vṛndāvana. *The Four Books* Let me share one more important and interesting piece of information about Badrinath. It was at Badrinath, Badarikasrama to be specific, that Śrīla Vyāsadeva wrote his most important work, *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*. And we are very fortunate to have received *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* from Śrīla Prabhupāda, the pure and bona fide representative of Vyāsa. In what he titled “The Moto” in the opening pages of his first published volume of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote: “We know that foreign invaders of India could break down some of the monumental architectural works in India, but they were unable to break up the perfect ideals of human civilization so far kept hidden within the Sanskrit language of Vedic wisdom.” Among Śrī Prabhupāda’s numerous accomplishments, what stands out as the most prominent and the most significant is his books. And within his books, some he considered especially important. Pradyumna Dāsa, his longtime Sanskrit editor, noted, “Prabhupāda always considered that four books—the *Bhagavad-gītā*, *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*, *The Nectar of Devotion*, and *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta*—were the necessary books. Outside of that, everything was extra.” (*Śrīla Prabhupāda—Remembrances*, Chapter 16) Sometimes during a fire sacrifice, Prabhupāda would have devotees read from these four books at the four corners of the room. He wrote to Urvaśī Dāsī, July 25, 1975, “Read my books very carefully, Bhagavad-gita, then Srimad-Bhagavatam, and then Caitanya-caritamrta. You should read every day without fail and become fixed in our philosophy.” Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote to Haṁsadūta Dāsa, on December 3, 1968: Next January there will be an examination on this Bhagavad-gita. Papers will be sent by me to all centers, and those securing the minimum passing grade will be given the title of Bhaktisastri. Similarly, another examination will be held on Lord Caitanya’s appearance day in February 1970, and it will be upon Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Those passing will get the title of Bhaktivaibhava. Another examination will be held sometime in 1971 on the four books, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and The Nectar of Devotion. One who will pass this examination will be awarded with the title of Bhaktivedanta. I want all of my spiritual sons and daughters will inherit this title of Bhaktivedanta so that the family transcendental diploma of Bhaktivedanta will continue through the generations. . . . So we should not simply publish these books for reading by outsiders, but our students must be well versed in all of our books so that we can be prepared to defeat all opposing parties in the matter of self-realization. It is important to note that even at that early stage of our movement, the year 1968, Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted and planned for the systematic study of his books and exams based on them. At that time, *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* was not yet published, so in the above letter *Teachings of Lord Caitanya* is mentioned. Later on, once it was published, Prabhupāda would always include *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* in the list of the four most important books. These four books of Śrīla Prabhupāda are my Char Dhama—my four favorite holy places. I find shelter and nourishment in them. And I like to visit them—read them—again and again. Of course, I don’t want to just read them. I wish to sincerely practice what I read and then try to humbly share with others what I read. These books are like oceans. Although within a few years we may finish reading them and may even pass the exams based on them, this would be like getting some knowledge of the length and the breadth of the ocean. There is more to the ocean, though. It would take a lifetime of rereading and proper attitude to go to the depths of the ocean of Prabhupāda’s books and collect all their valuable jewels. *By His Example* Pradyumna Dāsa recalls: Prabhupāda read his books. Whenever he traveled on the plane, his secretary would carry his books. Prabhupāda would say, “Where is the book?” He would read the *Gītā*, or the *Bhāgavatam*, or *The Nectar of Devotion*. He’d say, “See, I read my own books. Who reads their own books? People don’t read their own books. Therefore, they were not written by me. They were written by Kṛṣṇa.” (*Śrīla Prabhupāda—Remembrances*, Chapter 16) In the same chapter of *Remembrances*, Bhakti Tīrtha Swami shares a similar memory and the lesson we can learn from it. Once in Toronto I was guarding Prabhupāda’s room. Prabhupāda’s door to his sitting room was glass, so while you were guarding him you could look in and watch him as he was doing things. What impressed me most was Prabhupāda’s regulated schedule—*japa, darshans,* and how he read his own books. I thought, “Prabhupāda is reading his own books, so how important it is for us to read the books! If even the guru relishes his own books, then we should be relishing and appreciating them even more.” Let’s end with an interesting and instructive incident from Prabhupāda’s life that endeared him to his guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. In the autumn of 1932, when Prabhupāda heard that Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta was leading a massive pilgrimage around Vrindavan, he briefly broke free from his business in Allahabad to join the pilgrims. Soon after Prabhupāda arrived at Kosi, the devotees were given the choice of visiting the nearby Śeṣaśāyī Viṣṇu deity or staying to hear Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta. Prabhupāda recalls, “At that time I think only ten or twelve men remained. . . . And I thought it wise, ‘What can I see at this Śeṣaśāyī? Let me hear what Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī will speak. Let me hear.’” (Conversation, March 17, 1973, Mayapur) For years, my parents didn’t disclose to me anything about their meeting with the astrologer and his readings. They shared all this only two years ago, when I moved on from the *brahmacārī-āśrama* to the *gṛhastha-āśrama*. Anyway, as in the *brahmacārī-āśrama*, so in the *gṛhastha-āśrama*—I’m happy to spend quality time with Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. And I wish and pray to continue doing so for the rest of my life. *Revatī Vallabha Dāsa, a disciple of His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami, came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in 2001, the year he earned a degree in engineering. In 2005 he joined ISKCON’s Rādhā-Gopīnātha temple, Chowpatty, full-time. He teaches Bhakti-śāstrī and Bhakti-vaibhava courses.* Śrī Caitanya’s Holy Name: The Open Secret of the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement By Satyarāja Dāsa *Though Lord Kṛṣṇa’s avatar for this age is still not widely known, He predicted that would significantly change.* “The Western devotees are very sincerely chanting the holy names of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates: *śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda.* By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates, people are being purified and their consciousness directed from *māyā* [illusion] to Kṛṣṇa.”—Śrīla Prabhupāda (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya* 16.175, Purport) People in general have heard of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, known more formally as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Some are even aware of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even if misconceptions about His nature and form run amok.1 But few have even heard of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (1486–1534), the form of Kṛṣṇa who manifests in the mood of His own perfect devotee. This lacuna is especially concerning: Śrī Caitanya is actually at the center of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, which He started some five hundred years ago. The entire lineage is based on His personality, experience, and teaching, and on the efforts and scholarship of His immediate followers.2 Moreover, while devotees of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are known for chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra—*Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—and while this chanting is indeed the cornerstone of our everyday practice, we chant Śrī Caitanya’s names as well, as a daily practice. In fact, an argument can be made that the name of Caitanya is in some ways even more powerful than Kṛṣṇa’s, a point to which we will later return, and that unless one approaches Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya, evoking Caitanya’s holy name and the methods He lovingly bestowed on the world, the Supreme Lord will likely remain far, far away.3 This article, then, will be about the primacy of Caitanya and His name in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. *“Kṛṣṇa Consciousness”* The phrase *Kṛṣṇa consciousness*, which is the name Śrīla Prabhupāda gave to his society in 1966, is derived from Śrī Caitanya’s *sannyāsa* name, “Kṛṣṇa Caitanya,” which literally means “*Kṛṣṇa consciousness*,” although there are alternate Sanskrit derivations for this phrase. For example, in his book *Journey of Self-Discovery*, Śrīla Prabhupāda tells us, “Rūpa Gosvāmī writes, **kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā* matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto ’pi labhyate*. (I have translated the words *Kṛṣṇa consciousness* from *kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā*.) Here, Rūpa Gosvāmī advises, ‘If *Kṛṣṇa consciousness* is available, please purchase it immediately. Don’t delay. It is a very nice thing.’”4 But tracing the term *Kṛṣṇa consciousness* to *Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya* is in a sense more immediate. That is to say, the word *caitanya* means “consciousness,” which is the symptom of the soul, and *kṛṣṇa* refers to God as “the all-attractive one.”5 In this way the name Kṛṣṇa Caitanya directly points us toward *Kṛṣṇa consciousness*. Thus, chanting Śrī Caitanya’s name faithfully will grant the highest levels of spiritual realization. For the followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu who were contemporaneous with Him, the power of Caitanya’s name became particularly evident immediately after His *sannyāsa* ceremony. His renunciation was a pivotal act in His earthly *līlā*, underlining the mood of what would become the Gauḍīya lineage. In *Caitanya-bhāgavata* (*Madhya* 28.169–176), Śrīla Vṛndāvaṇa dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrī Caitanya’s first biographer, describes the pastime of the Lord’s *sannyāsa* initiation along with His receiving the name Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, highlighting its translation as “Kṛṣṇa consciousness”: The magnanimous Keśava Bhāratī then began to think of a name to give the Lord. “I cannot find such a Vaiṣṇava in the fourteen worlds. This is my conviction. Therefore I will give a name that is not found anywhere; then my desire will be fulfilled. Although the disciple of a Bhāratī should be named Bhāratī, that name is not appropriate for Him.” As that fortunate, topmost *sannyāsī* was thinking like this, Śuddhā Sarasvatī, the transcendental goddess of learning, appeared on his tongue. The titles used by each class of person within a *sampradāya* [community] are accepted along with the person's name in that *sampradāya*, but in this case Śrī Gaurasundara [Caitanya] did not receive the title of Bhāratī from Keśava Bhāratī. By the influence of pure devotional service, the goddess of transcendental knowledge appeared on the tongue of Bhāratī during Mahāprabhu's name-giving ceremony. Selecting the suitable name, the pure-hearted Keśava Bhāratī placed his hand on the chest of the Lord and spoke. “The goddess of material knowledge is known as Duṣṭā Sarasvatī. When statements that inspire service to the Supreme Lord are spoken, the goddess of learning remains engaged in the service of the Lord. You have induced the people of the world to chant the name of Kṛṣṇa, and by inaugurating the movement of *saṅkīrtana*, You have awakened people’s consciousness.” Since the Lord made the arrangement for chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa while introducing the materially intoxicated people of the world to Kṛṣṇa, Keśava Bhāratī awarded Him the name “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.” The consciousness of people throughout the entire world of sense gratification was awakened. Previously they had been indifferent to the Supreme Lord. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya personally awarded all living entities the qualification to hear the fact that Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself is Śrī Caitanya. “Therefore Your name will be Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. Because of You, everyone will become fortunate.”6 The potency of Śrī Caitanya’s name, as given Him at this initiation ceremony, is again laid bare in *Bhakti-ratnākara*, Second Wave, texts 37–43: Gaṅgādhara Bhaṭṭācārya, the father of Śrīnivāsācārya, was present at the time of Mahāprabhu’s hair cutting [during the *sannyāsa* initiation]. He could not control himself and cried bitterly until he fainted on the ground. By the wish of Prabhu [Śrī Caitanya], he regained his senses after some time. Mahāprabhu was offered the name Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and when that name entered the ears of the brahmin Gaṅgādhara, he began to utter it repeatedly while simultaneously crying. He could no longer stay at Kantakanagara [Katwa] and ran to the banks of the Ganges like a madman. He lost all interest in bathing or eating and simply repeated the name of Caitanya.7 When properly chanted under the guidance of a pure devotee, and with the benefit of one’s inner spiritual evolution over many lifetimes, the name is intoxicating, as we see above in the example of Gaṅgādhara Bhaṭṭācārya, bringing practitioners to the stage of pure love of God. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the original consciousness; “I am Kṛṣṇa’s. I am God’s, part and parcel of God.” At the present moment, being illusioned by different material designations, we are thinking: “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am a *brāhmaṇa* [teacher],” “I am a *śūdra* [laborer],” “I am this,” “I am that.” These are all designations. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, “I am Kṛṣṇa’s.” *Ahaṁ brahmāsmi* [“I am spirit”]. *So ’ham*. . . . “I am an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.” This is the consciousness we need to awaken. That is the prime objective of human life.8 It is to be remembered that Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya are nondifferent, and that Caitanya is a form of Kṛṣṇa Himself in the highest throes of divine love. Their nondifference is stated throughout Gauḍīya scriptures but is especially highlighted by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī in his *Sarva-samvādinī* commentary on the *Tattva-sandarbha* (1): “This very verse reveals that Śrī Gaura [Caitanya] is in fact an appearance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa by using the descriptive phrase *kṛṣṇa-varṇam*. In this phrase the occurrence of the two syllables *kṛṣ-ṇa* in the name Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-deva suggests that He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.” (Translation by Gopīparāṇadhana Dāsa.) This same explanation is found in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport to *Caitanya-caritāmṛta,* *Ādi* 3.52 (a verse that quotes *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 11.5.32): “Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that *kṛṣṇa-varṇam* means Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. *Kṛṣṇa-varṇam* and Kṛṣṇa Caitanya are equivalent. The name Kṛṣṇa appears with both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya Kṛṣṇa.” That is to say, the divine name belongs to both Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. As we will see, this becomes particularly significant with Mahāprabhu’s profound prediction: “My name will be chanted in every town and village of the world.” *“Every Town and Village”* Śrī Caitanya’s famous prediction in the *Caitanya-bhāgavata* (*Antya* 4.126) is known by all learned Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. *Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma/ sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma:* “In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My name will be heard.” *Mora nāma* means “My name,” referring to the name of Śrī Caitanya, since He is speaking.9 And yet, since Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya are one, “My name” can take on a double meaning, and the tradition indeed interprets it in that way: The verse can refer to the worldwide unfurling of the name “Kṛṣṇa” as well.10 And Prabhupāda makes it clear: “Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu,” Prabhupāda writes, “predicted that both His glorious names and the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-*mantra** would be broadcast in all the towns and villages of the world. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda desired to fulfill this great prediction, and we are following in their footsteps.” (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 4.22.42, Purport) Or further, “*Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma*. Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s prediction—in as many towns and villages are there on the surface of the globe, everywhere this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra*, or Lord Caitanya’s name, will be celebrated—that is being done.” (Lecture, Hyderabad, November 23, 1972) Thus, both readings are correct. For academic confirmation, I asked Professor Abhishek Ghosh, a Bengali Vaiṣṇava scholar, to explain this double meaning in terms of the verse itself. He referred to it as a “playful simultaneous narration” and can thus mean either one: “Both meanings are correct,” he added. “My name’ and ‘the names I love and chant’ (*mora* in this case is an endearing reference to the names he loves)—this gives way to purposeful dual meaning. It’s a simpler Bengali version that resembles *śleṣa* poetry. In Sanskrit, *śleṣa* is a literary device by which two meanings are expressed by a single word or verse. That’s the sort of implied meaning here.”11 In conclusion, then, “My name” can be viewed in either way: One may understand the words “My name” to mean the name is His possession. That is, the name belongs to Him as His property, as it were, because of His radical and loving attachment to it, His exceeding affection for it, His constant chanting of it, and so on. Alternatively, one may understand “My name” to indicate one of the proper nouns that refers to Him as a unique individual. Both are correct interpretations, though the latter has pride of place, and this is why Śrīla Prabhupāda translates it in that way. *Pañca-tattva Mahā-mantra* As stated, devotees chant Mahāprabhu’s name every day, largely in the form of the Pañca-tattva mantra, a traditional prayer revealed by Śrīla Prabhupāda shortly after establishing his movement in 1966.12 “Pañca-tattva ” refers to the Lord in five features, as manifested five hundred years ago: Kṛṣṇa manifested Himself as a devotee (Śrī Caitanya), an expansion of a devotee (Śrī Nityānanda), an incarnation of a devotee (Śrī Advaita Ācārya), a pure devotee (Śrī Śrīvāsa), and a devotional energy (Śrī Gadādhara), as expressed in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Ādi* 7.6). Of course, the notion of the Pañca-tattva predates the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta*. The concept of Śrī Caitanya in five features is an eternal spiritual principle, but it appears in history in the following way. The earliest reference to it is said to be in Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī’s no-longer-extant work *Gaura-tattva-nirūpaṇa*, which was probably written during Śrī Caitanya’s manifest pastimes or soon thereafter. Although there is scholarly debate about the authenticity of this book, Kavi Karṇapūra’s *Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā* (9) does indeed credit Svarūpa Dāmodara for systematizing the doctrine in the earliest days of the Gauḍīya tradition. Various Gauḍīya lineages articulate the famous formulation of the mantra as given in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Ādi* 7.169): *śrī-caitanya, nityānanda, advaita,—tina jana/ śrīvāsa-gadādhara-ādi yata bhakta-gaṇa*. “While chanting the Pañca-tattva *mahā-mantra*, one must chant the names of Śrī Caitanya, Nityānanda, Advaita, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa with their many devotees. This is the process.” ISKCON’s version is a variation on this mantra. Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted the devotees to begin each *kīrtana* by chanting the Pañca-tattva mantra, but he didn’t want us to chant it many times, and to instead give emphasis to the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*. Prabhupāda’s disciple Harikeśa Dāsa writes: My personal experience with Prabhupada began when I was his servant for a while in July of 1971. At that time he had described to me in his room that the chanting of the Panca Tattva *maha-*mantra** was much more powerful than the *hare krsna *mantra**. I immediately asked him that since this is so, then why don’t we chant some rounds of this *mantra* after finishing our 16 rounds of the *hare krsna *mantra** each day? Prabhupada replied that we should not do so since Lord Caitanya came just to show us how to worship Lord Krsna and that the Lord wanted us to chant the *hare krsna *mantra** and therefore we should follow His advice and example. Therefore he later restricted the chanting of this *mantra* in *kirtan* to only three times.13 In other words, though there is a certain logic to chanting the names of Mahāprabhu in abundance, since they are supremely powerful, Śrīla Prabhupāda advises that we instead follow the practices and methods of the *ācāryas*, for these are time-tested—shown to be reliable—and will work for all sincere practitioners. Regarding the power of the Pañca-tattva mantra, as well as that of the various names of Mahāprabhu and His associates in general, we may observe the following: “Whether he is offensive or inoffensive, anyone who even now chants *śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda* is immediately overwhelmed with ecstasy, and tears fill his eyes.” (**Caitanya-caritāmṛta,* *Ādi** 8.22) Or, “If one only chants, with some slight faith, the holy names of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, very quickly he is cleansed of all offenses. Thus as soon as he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*, he feels the ecstasy of love for God.” (**Caitanya-caritāmṛta,* *Ādi** 8.31) It is to be understood that “His name, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, is all-auspicious to the world. Everything about Him—His name, form and qualities—is unparalleled” (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta,* Madhya 17.113). Even the greatest sinners can attain perfection by chanting the names of Mahāprabhu, even if they do so with undisguised malice: “Jagāi and Mādhāi had but one fault—they were addicted to sinful activity. However, volumes of sinful activity can be burned to ashes simply by a dim reflection of the chanting of Your holy name. Jagāi and Mādhāi uttered Your holy name by way of blaspheming You. Fortunately, that holy name became the cause of their deliverance.” (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya* 1.194–195) This should not be viewed as hyperbole. The greatest of *ācāryas* have told us about the nectar of Śrī Caitanya’s various names. Indeed, chanting the name “Gaurāṅga” is considered the equivalent of chanting the names of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport to *Caitanya-caritāmṛta,* *Antya* 2.31: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains the Gaura-gopāla *mantra* in his *Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya*. Worshipers of Śrī Gaurasundara [Caitanya] accept the four syllables *gau-ra-aṅ-ga* as the Gaura *mantra*, but pure worshipers of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa accept the four syllables *rā-dhā kṛṣ-ṇa* as the Gaura-gopāla *mantra*. However, Vaiṣṇavas consider Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu nondifferent from Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa (*śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya*). Therefore, one who chants the *mantra* “*gaurāṅga*” and one who chants the names of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are on the same level. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes this point again and again. In his explanation of the Bengali song *Gaurāṅga Bolite Habe*, he says: “As soon as one will chant the name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, there will be shivering. This is the first symptom that one is getting advanced in the perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Narottama dasa Thakura says, *gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka śarīre*. He’s expecting . . . Although he was a great *ācārya*, still, he was expecting, ‘When that stage will come?’” We should all anticipate such a stage, and should fervently chant with feeling to Śrī Caitanya and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to attain it. *Surpassing Kṛṣṇa* Earlier in this essay I wrote that Śrī Caitanya’s name surpasses even Kṛṣṇa’s. This may seem like an extreme position, given that Kṛṣṇa is God Himself. Yet I have also shown that there is an interchangeability between the two and that Śrī Caitanya is in fact Kṛṣṇa in His most intense mood of divine love. Thus, among the innumerable names of Kṛṣṇa, the names of Caitanya stand supreme. Here is evidence from two of the greatest Vaiṣṇava luminaries of all time: Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja spoke as follows: “Kṛṣṇa is the *avatāra* of Dvāpara-yuga. Gaura is the *avatāra* of Kali-yuga. We should chant the name and the **kīrtana*s* of the *avatāra* in Whose age we live, just as we sing the praises of the king in whose kingdom we live. You should not forget Gaura for He is even more benevolent and merciful than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is just like a just ruler who takes into account your offenses in His administration of justice. Gaura does not take into account your offenses. While Kṛṣṇa is more interested in the dispensation of justice, Gaura is more interested in the dispensation of mercy. From this point of view, Gaura-*kīrtana* is also more useful than Kṛṣṇa-*kīrtana*. Gaura-*kīrtana* is, for example, *śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu nityānanda, śrī advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādī gaura bhaktavṛnda*.”14 Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks in this connection that if one takes shelter of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda, follows Their instructions to become more tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass, and in this way chants the holy name of the Lord, very soon he achieves the platform of transcendental loving service to the Lord, and tears appear in his eyes. There are offenses to be considered in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*, but there are no such considerations in chanting the names of Gaura-Nityānanda. Therefore, if one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* but his life is still full of sinful activities, it will be very difficult for him to achieve the platform of loving service to the Lord. But if in spite of being an offender one chants the holy names of Gaura-Nityānanda, he is very quickly freed from the interactions of his offenses. Therefore, one should first approach Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, or worship Guru-Gaurāṅga, and then come to the stage of worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. . . It should be noted in this connection that the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Gaurasundara are both identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore one should not consider one name to be more potent than the other. Considering the position of the people of this age, however, the chanting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s name is more essential than the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra* because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the most magnanimous incarnation and His mercy is very easily achieved. Therefore one must first take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting *śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda.*15 How can anyone or anything surpass Lord Kṛṣṇa? Indeed, only Kṛṣṇa can surpass Kṛṣṇa, for God, by definition, is supreme in all categories.16 And when He surpasses even Himself, He is called Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. *Notes* 1. In the modern world, both East and West, Kṛṣṇa is often seen in sectarian terms, as one god among many, or as a “Hindu” manifestation of the Supreme. But this is not how He is conceived in the Vaiṣṇava tradition, both among practitioners throughout the ages and in the ancient Indic scriptures. Still, many modern encyclopedia entries, for example, perpetuate such misconceptions. In reality, however, He is the same one universal Lord who is revered in all the major world religions, and it is this latter view that is promoted in ISKCON. 2. Śrī Caitanya’s movement is an expression of *sanātana-dharma*, “the eternal function of the soul,” and it is therefore futile to try to trace its origins to any point in time. It is eternal. Still, its five-hundred-year history, as mentioned above, might be understood as the movement’s modern manifestation, arising with Śrī Caitanya and His followers. 3. *Śrī*la Prabhupāda teaches that one must approach Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya. “And *Śrī* *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* is written for this purpose, so that a person who is serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness may understand Kṛṣṇa through the mercy of *Śrī* Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is wanted. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa consciousness without going through the mercy of *Śrī* Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” (Lecture, Mayapur, March 28, 1975); “You have to approach through your spiritual master to the Gosvāmīs, and through the Gosvāmīs you will have to approach *Śrī* Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and through *Śrī* Caitanya Mahāprabhu you have to approach Kṛṣṇa. This is the way.” (ibid.); “So Lord Caitanya is the combined form of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. If Caitanya is pleased, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa automatically become pleased. Now our mission, Kṛṣṇa consciousness mission, is to execute the will of Lord Caitanya.” (Letter to Makhanlal, June 3, 1970). 4. Śrīla Prabhupāda attributes the English phrase “Kṛṣṇa consciousness” to that same verse in several lectures, such as those in Vrindavan (March 13, 1974) and Seattle, Washington (October 4, 1968), and he quotes it in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Madhya* 8.70). This attribution is based on Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s *Padyāvalī* (14). However, Śrīla Prabhupāda offers other Sanskrit sources for the phrase as well. In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 4.12.38, purport, for example, he writes, “The exact Sanskrit terminology for Kṛṣṇa consciousness is here mentioned: **kṛṣṇa-parāyaṇa*ḥ. Parāyaṇa* means ‘going forward.’ Anyone who is going forward to the goal of Kṛṣṇa is called *kṛṣṇa-parāyaṇa*, or fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.” And, “The phrase *man-manā bhava mad-bhakto* means ‘just be always conscious of Me.’ This then is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” (*Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness*, Chapter Six) Finally, Ravīndra Svarūpa Dāsa writes: “Śrīla Prabhupāda himself depicts his English coinage ‘Kṛṣṇa consciousness’ as a translation of the Sanskrit compound *kṛṣṇabhāvanāmṛta*. He writes: ‘Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore called *kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta-saṅgha*, the association of persons who are simply satisfied in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa’ (SB 9.9.45, purport).” See Ravindra Svarupa Dasa, “Śrīla Prabhupāda: The Founder-Ācārya of ISKCON - A GBC Foundational Document” (India: ISKCONGBC Press, 2014). To be thorough, an early reference to the English phrase “Kṛṣṇa consciousness” comes from Baba Premananda Bharati (1858–1914) in his book *Sree Krishna: The Lord of Love* (London: William Rider & Son, Ltd., 1904), 256, 292. 5. The Sanskrit word *caitanya* can be translated in various ways, and “living force,” often used by Śrīla Prabhupāda (e.g., *Teaching of Lord *Caitanya*,* Introduction), is clearly one of them. Basically, the grammatical derivation runs as follows: *Caitanya* comes from *cetana* (conscious, cognizing), which arises from the verb *cit* (cognize). Thus it refers to living beings who are conscious entities, i.e., the living force. According to Hridayānanda Goswami, “The word *caitanya* means ‘consciousness, soul, spirit, the Universal Spirit, etc.’ and comes from *cetana*, which is an adjective meaning ‘conscious, sentient, intelligent.’ In the sense of ‘soul,’ it can indicate something like ‘life force.’” (Personal correspondence, August 22, 2024). 6. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, *Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata*, *Madhya-khaṇḍa*, with English Translation of the Gauḍīya-bhāṣya Commentary and Chapter Summaries of His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, translated by Bhumipati Dāsa (India: Vrajraj Press, 2008). 7. Narahari Cakravarti, *Bhakti-ratnākara* (The Jewel-filled Ocean of Devotional Service), trans., Kuśakratha Dāsa (Vrindavan: Rasbihari Lal & Sons, 2006). 8. Śrīla Prabhupāda lecture on *The* *Nectar of Devotion*, December 27, 1972, in Bombay. 9. Śrīla Prabhupāda is not alone in translating the verse in this way. For example, see Swami B. B. Bodhayan, *The Life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu* (San Rafael: Mandala, 2023), viii. 10. See, for example, Swami B. R. Śrīdhara, *The Golden Volcano of Divine Love* (Nadiya, West Bengal: Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, 1996, reprint), 143: “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the pioneer of Śrī Kṛṣṇa *saṅkīrtana*. He said, ‘I have come to inaugurate the chanting of the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa, and that name will reach every nook and corner of the universe (*pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma*).’” 11. Personal correspondence, August 15, 2024. Professor Ghosh added, “What Mahāprabhu said can be construed in both ways. ‘My name will be heard’ can even refer to the movement he was leading which one day would be known around the world, and ‘my name’ or the ‘names that I love’ (implied plural, which works in Bangla) would be heard across the world as well.” 12. Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja (1776–1894) is sometimes credited with introducing the Pañca-tattva *mahā-mantra*, though I have seen no evidence to suggest this is true. Bhakti Vikāsa Swami writes: “This chant is rendered as it appears in *Sarasvatī*-**jaya*śrī*, p. 200. It is usually understood to have been introduced by Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, and there are several slightly varied versions extant. Similar to the above (*śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda jayādvaita śrī-gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda*), the *Gauḍīya* (10.324) gave the mantra as *jaya* *jaya* *śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda jayādvaita śrī-gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda*, and in *Gauḍīya* 3.30.2 it appears in the same form sans the first *jaya*. The present standard form is *śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvasadi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda*.” See Bhakti Vikāsa Swami, *Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Vaibhava* (Surat: Bhakti Vikas Trust, 2009), Vol. II, 292. 13. See Jayādvaita Swami, *Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Kīrtana Standards: A Handbook* (New York: Krishna Balarama Literary Trust, 2023), 65. 14. See O. B. L. Kapoor (Ādi-keśava dāsa), *The Saints of Bengal*, (South America: Sarasvatī Jayaśrī Classics, 1995), 13, 14. 15. *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi* 8.31, Purport. 16. In the *Bhagavad-gītā*, Kṛṣṇa describes Himself as being the first in all categories, such as the letter “a” and the generating seed of all existence. When He manifests in this way, it is not His primary form or personality but rather an expansion. That is to say, in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 10 of the *Gītā*, Kṛṣṇa frames all of such “identity verses” with repeated statements that He is describing His *vibhūti*, expansions, rather than plenary incarnations of Himself. Caitanya, however, is fully Kṛṣṇa—in His most confidential form. *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.* Lower than Straw By Viśākhā Devī Dāsī *A sobering, apt metaphor for the mood required to purely chant the Lord’s holy names.* Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu composed only eight verses, including the following: > tṛṇād api sunīcena > taror api sahiṣṇunā > amāninā mānadena > kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ “One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” (*Śikṣāṣṭaka* 3) Referring to this verse, Śrī Caitanya’s exalted biographer Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī writes, “Raising my hands, I declare, ‘Everyone please hear me! String this verse on the thread of the holy name and wear it on your neck for continuous remembrance.’” (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi* 17.32) Kṛṣṇadāsa then assures us that if we follow this instruction, we’ll achieve the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Realistically, however, how am I supposed to think of myself as lower than straw, an inanimate material object? There are several ways to understand this apparently radical instruction. One is that since I’ve forgotten that I’m a spiritual being, an *ātmā*, and instead have the firm misunderstanding that I am my body, then not only is my sense of identity thoroughly distorted, but also—consciously or unconsciously—I’m confused: I think I am something I’m not (a material body), and I don’t know what I actually am (a spirit soul). Straw, by contrast, doesn’t have such an existential crisis and so is superior to me. Another way to understand how I’m lower than straw is to recognize that at any moment all my material opulence and my wellbeing can be finished; how can I be proud of these fleeting things? Straw is not deluded by will-o’-the-wisp opulence and wellbeing, so, figuratively speaking, straw is superior to me. Yet another understanding is that once we see the power of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, we’ll also see the tininess of our own power. When we see how beautiful Kṛṣṇa is, we’ll see how we lack beauty; when we see the magnificence of the Supreme in all respects—His wisdom, knowledge, renunciation, wealth—we’ll immediately be humbled and think ourselves lowly. Straw is already lowly and doesn’t need to be brought to that point. *Characteristics of One with this Consciousness* A devotee who grasps the many implications of feeling lower than straw isn’t puffed up by material power or any material asset. That person knows that material power and other such assets are the results of one’s past good activities (karma) and are consequently temporary and nothing to be proud of. The attitude of feeling lower than the straw in the street attracts Kṛṣṇa, the all-attractive Supreme Person. Devotees who feel this way have shed their false ego and feel affection for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He reciprocates such heartfelt affection by keeping those devotees close to Him. The fortunate devotees who’ve imbibed this mood have no fear of losing anything, because they’re detached from everything material and so have nothing material to lose—not even their great self-image. Some people may say they’re not afraid to lose anything, but almost everyone is afraid of losing their good image of themselves. Those who love the Supreme Person, however, don’t feel any need to hold onto their image, because they see themselves to be at the bottom—on the ground—in relation to Kṛṣṇa and everyone else. Since they already feel themselves to be at the lowest point, they think they can’t fall any lower. Unlike those who are higher and are afraid of falling, the person on the ground is unafraid. When we’re at the lowest point, we’re finally on a solid platform for spiritual progress. Subconsciously we all know that sooner or later, time and a million other things will take away everything dear to us—our health will fail us, our wealth and position will be left behind, we’ll be separated from friends and family. And so, we’re full of anxiety. “Oh no, I’m going down, down, down.” But the person on the ground is already at the lowest point and, having nowhere to fall, is secure and free from worry. This “ground” is not the earth but devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. Since Kṛṣṇa’s devotees have no wish except to serve Him with devotion, they don’t hanker for what they lack or lament for what they’ve lost. Rather, they’re absorbed in their sacred service. In that condition, they constantly chant Kṛṣṇa’s names, and even in their thoughts never minimize anyone else’s position. Those who are blessed with Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service do not care for high positions, or to attain heavenly planets or dominion on this planet. They do not aspire for the mystic powers achieved by the yoga process. Nor do pure devotees aspire for liberation by becoming one with the Supreme. They have stopped wandering from one species of life to another within the universe and instead have achieved something extremely rare: Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. With that mercy, they don’t think in terms of higher and lower. By Kṛṣṇa’s mercy devotees give up the false prestige that comes with a material body: “I’m well educated,” “I’m a great devotee,” “I’ve published some books,” “I have a good reputation,” “I have a position and a title.” They’ve stopped thinking they are the body and that the body’s possessions and labels are theirs. They’ve stopped manipulating and maneuvering. They’ve stopped being puffed up and have no superiority complex. They’re not envious. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī exemplified this mood, for he had no sense of false prestige and genuinely felt, “I am lower than the lowest.” One who’s falsely trying to make himself the highest by keeping his false ego intact, feeling, “I’m a great devotee,” “I’m learned,” “I’m beautiful,” and so on, is lacking in spiritual life, for in spiritual life one has no artificial protection or false concepts of oneself. Kṛṣṇa’s devotees pray to Him to keep them from getting proud. They don’t want to lose the satisfaction and happiness they feel in chanting Kṛṣṇa’s names and serving Him, for nothing is more valuable or important than these opportunities and privileges. A person who’s not feeling lower than the straw in the street and is not ready to offer all respects to others cannot chant Kṛṣṇa’s names constantly. Only one who has no false ego can really chant and taste the nectar of the holy names. *Misconceptions* One might think that devotees who have the attitude of being lower than straw are open to exploitation and abuse, that they have senselessly made themselves vulnerable to bullying and any number of other mistreatment miseries. Devotees, however, are not foolish; they avoid unnecessary, compromised situations in which they face maltreatment. Rather, they’re always thinking of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, their beloved master and supreme friend, and are never puffed up, thinking, “I’m a great person.” And—importantly—they’re ready to serve Kṛṣṇa as He desires. For Arjuna in the *Bhagavad-gītā*, serving Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa desired meant fighting and killing exploitative and abusive persons. Arjuna was ready to forgive and forget, but Kṛṣṇa would have none of it. So, with humility and meekness, Arjuna followed Kṛṣṇa’s directives while he fought ferociously and killed as Kṛṣṇa directed. In other words, we may have a misconception about what it means to be humble and meek. On one hand a devotee isn’t proud. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, “If a devotee thinks that he is very much advanced in devotional service, he is considered puffed up and unfit to sit beneath the shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet. One should not be falsely proud of his Vaiṣṇava qualifications.” (*Bhāgavatam* 6.17.14, Purport) Devotees are always tolerant and submissive, for they are simply interested in chanting the holy name of the Lord without being disturbed. They never take anyone’s insults seriously. On the other hand, devotees are firmly convinced that within the three worlds they have no protector or maintainer other than Kṛṣṇa. Completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa, devotees act and think as Kṛṣṇa desires. In this way they are meek and humble, but as we saw with Arjuna’s example, meekness and humility can include unavoidable violence. *What to Make of It All?* On a morning walk in Paris on June 11, 1974, a devotee asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, “How can one remain humble in executing his devotional service?” Śrīla Prabhupāda replied, “Unless you think yourself helpless, you cannot surrender. Surrender is complete when you think yourself helpless. ‘I am helpless, but because I am surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, He’ll save me.’ This faith also must be there, that ‘Although I am helpless –’ Not although I am factually helpless, but ‘because I am surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, I have no danger. He’ll help me, protect me.’” Harivilāsa Dāsa recalls asking Śrīla Prabhupāda, during a morning walk in Paris in 1973, “What does it mean to be humble?” Śrīla Prabhupāda replied, “Humility means that you are convinced beyond any doubt that there is nothing in this world, absolutely nothing in this world—not your money, not your family, not your fame, not your gun, not your education –nothing will save you except the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. When you are convinced like this, then you are humble.” *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 *Society, Friendship, and Love* As the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement continues its global growth, it naturally faces increased risks of being negatively influenced by the pervasive materialism of our times. Devotees who have witnessed the evolution of the movement over the past decades may see trends that cause concern about what the future holds. Will all the essential elements of what Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us survive? Śrīla Prabhupāda himself was optimistic. He knew that if devotees strictly followed the spiritual principles they had received, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement would grow to become a prominent force to benefit the world, just as Lord Caitanya had predicted. One danger is that the movement may attract many people primarily for its social aspects, turning it into what we deride as “a mundane religion.” Of course, the movement is meant to be a place where people come together to live a Kṛṣṇa-centered way of life. But that means our lives should actually be Kṛṣṇa-centered. And to center one’s life on Kṛṣṇa means practicing *sādhana-bhakti*. I assume that most of us who identify as “devotees” are still conditioned souls and don’t consider ourselves pure devotees. Our *bhakti* is immature, and the “*sādhana*” part of the term *sādhana*-*bhakti* is essential for us. Without *sādhana*, or the regulated practice of *bhakti*-yoga, we’d have little true *bhakti*, and we’d risk losing what we have. That’s why Śrīla Prabhupāda insisted that we strictly follow the program he gave us. To see some disciples neglecting their “routine work” and falling away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness troubled him. In a typical letter to a temple president, he wrote, “You shall see that routine work such as chanting 16 rounds, rising early, cleanliness, scripture classes, kirtan, prasadam cooking and distribution, Sankirtan—all these matters of routine work should go on smoothly under your direction. This routine work is the backbone of our Krishna consciousness. . . .” *Back to Godhead* is meant to help readers progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The magazine is primarily for people who practice *bhakti-yoga* or are at least familiar with and favorable to many of its concepts. Prabhupāda wanted devotees to study his books and write articles for BTG based on what they understood. This, he knew, would benefit both the authors and the readers. We can define the essence of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in different ways. I like the following statement by Lord Caitanya. He was addressing the people of India, yet Śrīla Prabhupāda took His words as a directive for everyone: “One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varśa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.” (*Caitanya-caritāmṛta*, *Ādi* 9.41). Two things: make your own life successful by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, and help others by giving them the same opportunity. Śrīla Prabhupāda would often disparage “society, friendship, and love” in the material world because these keep us trapped here to suffer lifetime after lifetime. On the other hand, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a place for spiritual society, friendship, and love, a place with great potential for helping us achieve pure love of God. While living in the social comfort of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we must keep its core aims in the center by “serious and sincere” (a common Prabhupāda phrase) practice of *bhakti-yoga* and by contributing in some way to saturate the world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa. —*Nāgarāja Dāsa, Editor* Bhakti Wisdom 59-3 At the present moment the entire world is in a dangerous position under the spell of a godless civilization. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement needs many exalted, learned persons who will sacrifice their lives to revive God consciousness throughout the world. We therefore invite all men and women advanced in knowledge to join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and sacrifice their lives for the great cause of reviving the God consciousness of human society. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 6.10.6, Purport The modern way of thinking increases consciousness of “I am the doer” as per *prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni* [*Gītā* 3.27]. It is difficult for persons steeped in this mode of thought to see things as they actually are. Considering themselves learned, they presume to know a lot and to understand everything, but because they are acquainted only with the exoteric, they cannot decipher the esoteric principle. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī *Śrīla Prabhupāder Goloka-vāṇī* 1.40–42 O unconquerable Lord, although You cannot be conquered by anyone, You are certainly conquered by devotees who have control of the mind and senses. They can keep You under their control because You are causelessly merciful to devotees who desire no material profit from You. Indeed, You give Yourself to them, and because of this You also have full control over Your devotees. King Citraketu *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 6.16.34 Only by devotional service can one understand my glorious, eternal, blissful, all-knowing spiritual form. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa *Vāsudeva Upaniṣad* 29 One invokes the Lord by the *Ṛg Veda*, performs sacrifice by the *Yajur Veda*, and praises the Lord by the *Sāma Veda*. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Commentary on *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 8.16.31 All spiritual perfections (*siddhis*), beginning with liberation (*mukti*), as well as all varieties of extraordinary enjoyments, follow the great goddess Hari-bhakti just like maidservants. *Śrī Narada Pantra* 5 One should learn devotional service from an *ācārya* and worship the Lord. Then he will certainly attain his goal of life. *Chāndogya Upaniṣad* 3.14 By a scrutinizing review of all the revealed scriptures and a judgment of them again and again, it is now concluded that Lord Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth and thus He alone should be worshiped. *Skanda Purāṇa* At the last stage of one's life, one should be bold enough not to be afraid of death. But one must cut off all attachment to the material body and everything pertaining to it and all desires thereof. Śrī Sukadeva Gosvāmī *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* 2.1.15 BTG59-04, 2025