gaudiya math chennai / the gaudiya december 2010

8/8/2019 gaudiya math chennai / The Gaudiya December 2010

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DECEMBER 2010 THE GAUDIYA

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THE

GAUDIYASpiritual Monthly

Vol. LIV DECEMBER 2010 No. 4

MANGALCHARANAM

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Let there be continuously flow at my heart of (i) the descriptionsof Your Character that are tasted by the tongues of the blessed

souls, (ii) Your intensive frivolities suited to Your Adolescence, likethe sportfulness of besieging Radha (on the way) and (iii) the

sportive gestures that appear on Your Lotus-Face generated by thedifferent modulations of the tunes of Your Flute.

-Sri Leelshuka Bilvamangala

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THE GAUDIYA DECEMBER 2010

Pithy Precepts of Srila PrabhupdZend-Avesta andVandidad: Theanimistic thought inZend-Avesta and inVandidad has almostsimilar considerationlike Vedic Samhitas ofIndia except that theterms are apparentlydifferent in many

cases. The Suras orgods have got opposite specification fromthe Asuras; whereas, the writings ofZoroaster and his followers differ from theVedic gods and their utility. The impressionof Ahurmajda and Angora Maiynu has adualistic conception among them like virtueand vice, light and darkness. The phasesof gods are known as fire, air, water, etc.,like the later gods of Greek and Romanmythology. Vedic India has given to thewestern lands of Persia their polytheistic

gods through Pahlavi books and Gathaswhich were carried to serve the civilisedmythical thoughts of Southern Europe indays of yore.

The Hebraic impressions of thesemities more or less reveal a vague ideaor the Supreme Integer against allpolytheistic impressions of the civilisedworld as well as the savages. The principleof grouping together in One can be tracedfrom the different entities found in the

powerful fountain-head experiencedthrough the senses and they are againanalysed by marking differentrepresentations coming out from onesource; in other words animism and moreor less polytheistic experiences haveterminated into the One Supreme Spiritualexistence of the Immanence ortheTranscendence of Vedanta.

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Taoism and Confucianism:- In Chinawe find Taoism inculcated by Lautze andlater on the theory of Confucius went on toinculcate the methodic order of Society. Thesystems of different countries are all basedon the principle of examining the outwardsfeature of this mundane world. But theVedanta philosophy has gone in a quitedifferent direction to dispel all the apparentsides. The religious views entertained in old

days in different countries might not haveinvaded India to add to more or lesspolytheistc thoughts, but in order to reconcileall apparently conflicting ideas. Therationalistic hymns traced all manifestationsto One purpose of Immanence and easilycounteracted the different propositions ofpolytheistic impressions which served thepurposes of different societies.

Nilotic and Semitic Notions:- TheNilotic achievements and the seniticimpressions were much in vogue in thenorthern part of Africa and Southern Europe,though these have very little to do with theirpromulgation in Northern India. The ancientsculptors carving emblematic impressions onstone, as well as the preserved mummieswould surely go to show an aptitude forestablishing an emporium for visitors ofMuseums, in succeeding years. The semitesof the Nilotic region became advocates ofoe birth instead of examining the separateexistence of the spirit apart from the seeming

material structure. The story of reflection ofthe external body is the best specimen ofretaining the transformable situation ofperishable things; whereas, the ontology ofthe Permanent is carefully neglected. Thesociety of Vedantists was never dissuadedby these foreign thoughts, and some sort ofintrusion can be traced in the aphorisms ofVedanta which stultify their critical reasons.


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Thus Spake Srila chryadeva

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They areintended byprovidence as the testsby which we mayunderstand thegenuineness of ourinclination for Hisservice. If we deserveour lasting good wemust not neglect these

o p p o r t u n i t i e s .Mundane civilization is not accidentallycreated by the activities of ignorantunspiritual man. Such activities are themanifestation of the working of the Powerof God in apparent opposition to itself forthe benefit of conditioned souls. Man is byno means the all-important factor ofexistence as is falsely assumed by the schoolof the Agnostics. It is foolish vanity thatleads to such gross over valuation of hisplace in the universe. Krishna is the Centreof everything. The purpose of Krishna ismanifested to every spiritual entity inproportion as the latter chooses to exercisehis receptive initiative in His service.Everything is in itself the merest infinitesimalparticle of base dust which may be renderedeligible for embellishing the Perfect Beautyof the Lotus Feet of Krishna if it choose tosubmit to his guidance.

We should not be discouraged by ourlittleness and unworthiness for the service

of the Absolute by our own right. Thereare higher servitors of the Supreme Lordby indefeasible right. Those servitorsfrequently descend to this mundane planeby the Will of Krishna for lifting us to HisFeet. They are the eternally associatedcounterparts of the Divinity. We aredissociated servants of His servants. Weare apt to be swayed by malice and vanity.We are also privileged to realise the

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superiority of the perfect serving dispositionof those eternal servitors of Krishna Whoare never subject to the frailties of the mortalstate. The slightest touch of the servitors ofKrishna is capable of endowing us, particlesof vile dust, with the matchless perfection ofthe servant of the servant of Krishna. Thesame ideal is pervertedly reflected in the goalof scientific pursuits due to our owndeliberate perversity. The cause of science,

if it is seen in its true perspective is realisableas the pursuit of the highest good by meansof imperect and obstructive equipments.The need behind the process is eternal andperfectly wholesome. When it does notwork for our highest good it is due to ourdeliberate wrong handling. It is notnecessary to discontinue scientific activity,but to realise that it is possible to secure thehighest good by its proper handling.

The discoveries of science and

Philosophy have not been yoked to theservice of the Absolute. They have beenmisused for pondering to the sordidgratification of the senses of man. Whenwe draw a beautiful picture we think of thepleasure that it affords to our eye. But as amatter of fact by such perverted activityones aesthetic sense is denied its propersatisfaction. When we invent the aeroplaneto carry us swiftly over long distances forthe same end the true principle of utility isnot targetted. When we fight a bloody war

for military glory or for economic advantageswe fail to use the heroic principle, that isinherent in our nature for the right purpose.The cause of the mistake in all these casesis the same viz. that we are actingdeliberately against our higher nature whichcan be satisfied only by serving the Absoluteand not by the useless deflection of itsfunction for serving its own littleness.

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ALMANAC for the months of DECEMBER 2010 & JANUARY 2011

14.12.2010 Tue Demise of Srila Madhusudan Ds Bbji Maharj

17.12.2010 Fri Mokshada Ekdashi Fasting. Next day Prana between 6.16 and9.47 a.m. Demise of Srimad Bhakti Kusum Shraman Maharj

21.12.2010 Tue Concluding day of Ktyyani Vrata

25.12.2010 Sat Disappearance day of Prabhupd Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhnta

Saraswati Goswmi Thkur, the Founder Acharya of Sri Chaitanya

Maht and its branches Sri Gaudiya Maths.

31.12.2010 Fri Saphala Ekdashi Fasting. Next day Prana between 6.22 and9.54 a.m. Disappearance of Srila Devnanda Pandit. Demise of

Srimad Bhakti Praks Aranya Maharj and Srimad Bhakti Sdhaka

Nishkinchana Maharj

02.01.2011 Sun Disappearance of Srila Mahesh Pandit

05.01.2011 Wed Appearance of Srila Lochan Ds Thkur.

07.01.2011 Fri Disappearance of Srila Jiva Goswmi and Srila Jagadish Pandit

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The poets business should be to sing

only the praises of Krishna. The paintershould paint only His Beauty. Theindustrialists should enrich the stores ofKrishna which are to supply food andremnant for the souls of suffering humanity.

The faith which has been formulatedfor us by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is onethat is rational, ethical and spiritual. Hissystem of philosophy is known as

Achintyabheda-abhedavada the mostcomplete and full-fledged theistic system

based on revealed truth vouchsafed byPrasthanatraya. He recognised all thefour systems of theistic philosophy thatflourished before Him namelyVishishtadvaita-vadaof the great teacherSri Ramanujacharya, Suddha-dwaitavadaof the great teacher Sri Madhvacharya,

Dwaitadwaitavadaof Sri Nimbarka andSuddhadvaitavada of Sri Vishnuswami.This attitude of reverence and respecttowards the other systems of philosophy israther rare in the philosophical and religious

world. These four great Acharyas and LordSri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the lastconstructive Thinker, are in agreement thatthe ulitmae Reality (Paratattva) is the

trancendental untransformable eternal

Vigraha (Deity) i.e., Aprakrita DivyaMangalamaya Murtiand of all the methodswhich are open to us, that which is thesimplest is the method of Bhaktithemethod of devotion. It is the natural andinalienable attachment of mind toBhagavan.Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu like SriRamanujacharya with a most practicalphilosophy, making a great appeal to all, byan entire denial of birthright before spiritualattainments of appealing through the populartongue, completely succeeded in bringing themasses back to the Vedic religion.

According to Sri ChaitanyaMahaprabhu, Vedas are the only source ofspiritual knowledge. Vedas really define allkarma, akarma and vikarma although atheart they are wholly given to the service ofGodhead. It has prescribed varioustempting fruits of different karmasbut theyare only to attract the childish-mindedtowards it. But the real teachings of theVedas consist in detachment from karma

fruits through devotion to God and attainmentofnaishkarma which isBhakti. This is thesubstance of the whole of Vedic teachingsabout karma.

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DECEMBER 2010 THE GAUDIYA 5

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SRI GURU PRESHTHATHE BELOVED OF SRI GURUSripad B.S.Narayan Maharaj

(Contd. from November issue)

That should enable us to acquire theGrace of Lord Sri Gaur-Krishna.Devotional doctrine is the Vaishnaviteaspect of the Vedanta. It should bepropagated in this world. Try to get the

books like Bhakti Rasamrtia Sindhu, etc.translated into English language and spreadits message to the masses. I was keepingmyself engaged in all these activities. NowI feel that, Lord Krishna is willing to sendme to other world.If I am relievedfrom the presentcrisis, the I shallexplain everythingto you in detail.

One more

noteworthy matteris that, you are oneamong the threetrustees whom Ihave appointed tomanage SriChaitanya Math. As per my wish youshould accept this responsibility and conductdivine service. As you have a great regatdfor me, I shall surely meet you in near future,either in the present form, if not in any othersituation that may arise. After receiving

this letter you should engage yourself in HariBhajan with full enthusiasm. If I get furtherchance, I shall try to write you in future.Sriman Sambit has sent some good qualityoil and ghee for you. The matter of concernis that, by remaining in that cold climate,you do not take necessary food and diet.Whereas, we are spending luxurious dayshere amongst friends and relatives by

keeping busy in having variety of eatables;as a result of it we suffer from various kindsof illness, which tends to keep me quiteaway from all of you. From the very dayyou have departed to Basra, I am feelingquite desperate and isheartend here.Neither I feel any kind of joy, nor any

enthusiasm in the act of preaching. Many atime I keep on shedding tearsfor your sake.Let Sri Varshabhanavi (Sri Radha Rani)shower Her grace upon you. I shall alwaysremember your utter simplicity, your

d e t a c h m e n ttowards thisworld and yourregard for me, aninsignificant self.In any of thefuture births if I

can practiserenouncementlike yours, thenLord Krishna willsurely shower Hisgrace upon me.

Whatever tasks of the mission I have startedshould be continued by all of you togetherwith inspiration and enthusiasm. That willplease Lord Sri Radha-Govinda.

On the day when my breath stopsby following your sentiments, give me

shelter at your feet.Sri Vrishabhanu Nandini Radha Rani

calls some unskilled cowherd maid asNayanamani Manjari, and desires tokeep her near herself. But, due to herincompetence, she being incapable ofavoiding her husband, wastes her time in allkinds of external activities. Seeing thisaversion of Nayanamani Manjari, the most

NoteWherever Srila Prabhupad is

mentioned it refers Srila BhaktiSiddhanta Saraswati Goswami

Thakur only, Who is the illustrious

Founder Acharya of ParentOrganisation Sri Chaitanya Math,ofthe present Gaudiya Vaishnava

Movement throughout the world.


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(to be contd .....)

enchanting Vimala Manjari has preferredto keep her away from her own association.In such a situation, it becomes the boundenduty of Vimala Manjari to see that,Nayanamani Manjari may strive singlemindedly to seek the association of SriVarshabhanavi. Whatever it may be; nowyou should try to return back by discardingall kinds of pleasure and happiness of thatforeign land. At your return if you happento see me, it is well and good. If not, youcan visualise me amidst all these missionaryactivities.

with eternal blessings, Sri Siddhanta Saraswati.[Note: Varshabhanavi is Sri Radha

Rani. Nayanamani Manjari is the spiritualidentifiction of Srila Bhakti SiddhantaSaraswati Goswami Thakur. VimalaManjari is the spiritual identification of SriBhakti Vilasa Tirth Goswami Maharaj, asdeclared by Srila Saraswati Thakur.]

This following is the speech of SrilaPrabhupad during his 58th appearance dayVyasa Puja, in which he has spoken aboutSri Kunjabivari Vidyabhushan Prabhu.

My affectinateVidyabushan, who hasmade an averse person like myself to turntowards Lord Hari, through Sri VishvaVaishnava Raj Sabha, who has endeavouredto direct the mundane optimistic andpessimistic thought process of the Calcuttacitizens towards the divine service of SriGandharvika-Giridhari, by providing allkinds of fecility through preaching the

teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya. Such anunparalleled serving mood is rare in thisworld. He appeared infront of me on thevery day of my Gurujis disappearance day,as the other self of my Gurudeva and latterhe did not give me any chance of servinghim. He himself has taken all theopportunities of service and provided mefull chance for the materialising of myGurujis benediction that let your

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inclination for serving Lord Krishna, grow

more and more. In his own Kunja (bower)he has given opportunity to the devotees andservitors of Sri Gaudiya Math for serving SriGandharvika-Giridhari in their spiritualabode. This year the spiritual exhibition ofSri Gaudiya Math, as the most prominentevent has materialised due to his ownendeavour for the purpose of uplifting thecommon people bound by the triple shacklesof material nature. Being inspired from SriChaitanya Math Exhibition, he has arrangedthis one, after the inauguration of Sri Gaudiya

Math and has given me ample opportunityfor discussing spiritual topics. Beingsprinkled by the water of regular hearing andchanting theVishva Vaishnava Raj Sabha ofmy beloved, shall grow with branches andtwigs to form the bower of Gaudiya Mission.This bower shall be made manifested byKunjabehari as the Kalpadruma (desire tree)of Vrindavan, beneath which Sri SriGandharvika Giridhari surrounded withGopikas. By becoming a dog of that holyabode of my beloved kunjada, I feel my lifeshall be fulfilled. His name, form,virtue,associates and activities make merealise the true significance of the words Ramachandra sange as sung by SriNarottama Thakur. His endeavours havereminded me the significance of lovebetween Sri Gauranga and Sri GadadharPandit. It is my supplicatory benedictionthat, his affectionate associates may happilydwell by his friendly regard, under the canopyof his cool gentleness. No one shoulddisparage a pure devotee of the Lord byworldly considerations. Absolute love forthe Lord itself is the path shown by LordChaitanya.

Pure devotion aimsmerely at the Supreme Pleasure

of Bhagavan Sri Krishnaas its final goal s


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MAHBHRATASri M.C.Mahesh

Vriddhakshathra was now meditatingon the fringes of a lake calledSamantapanchaka that was very near toKurukshethra. Ages back, Parashuramahad offered the manes obsequial libationsfor his departed father Jamadagni here.Instead of ritual water he had poured the

blood of lusty Kshathriyas! Jamadagnihimself had been ruthlessly murdered by aKshathriya king Kartaveerya Arjuna, andParashurama had taken revenge byannihilating all the Kshathriyasof the landtwenty-one times.

Jayadratha recollected the prophecyof his doom with horror and went toDuryodhana: The relentless Arjuna willnever swerve from his vow. Shall I go backto my country? Life is indeed dear to me.

Duryodhana looked reassuringly at hisbrother-in-law: My entire army willcamouflage you and protect you fromArjuna.

The two desperadoes went to thepresence of Drona and spoke out theirgrief. Drona replied that both Jayadrathaand Arjuna had been his erstwhile disciples.However, Arjuna had secured an advantageby his constant practice and stern askesis.He now had the entire arsenal of divine

weapons with him. Jayadratha was not tofear death, for death was indeed inevitableand all Kshathriyas hoped to die in battle.

Seeing Jayadratha grow panickyDrona reassured him: I will form a phalanxthat Arjuna cannot pierce even after battlingall day long. The van of the army will beconfigured in the shape of a cart.Duryodhanas stalwart brothers

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Durmarshana and Duhshasana will guardthis array. Behind thisShakatavyuha, willbe the Chakravyuha or Padmavyuha thatI manoeuvred yesterday. I will myself standguard over the entrance of this arrangement.At the rear will be a needle-shaped array.You will stand at the fag end of the needlesupported by many invincible warriorsAshwatthama, Kripacharya, Shalya, Karnaand Bhurishravas. The six of you canwithstand the onslaught of Arjuna.

Krishna was spending the night in thewomens quarters, tenderly assuaging thesorrowing princesses Subadhra andUttaraa. Draupadhi was also there, sharingher inconsolable grief with them. The poorgirl Uttaraa had been wedded to Abhimanyu

just months ago! She was now carryingAbhimanyus child in her womb.

Arjuna and Krishna heard about the

details of the triple configuration sketchedout by Drona. Arjuna worshipped Krishnawith flowers and honey and went to doze.

Arjuna was woken up from his sleepby the consciousness of Krishna that hadassumed a fine, invisible body made ofectoplasm. Arjuna too found his spirit leavehis body and take up the fine sheath ofectoplasm. The two spirits now communedwith each other.

Arjuna, your vow is a technical

impossibility. Only a higher reality canensure its fructification. Can we see theascetic Shiva now?

The two companions of life and deathwere now on the summit of Kailasha,transported by the power of psychokinesis.Shiva smiled in his old enigmatic way:Arjuna, can you now perceive yourself asNara?

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(Contd. from November issue)


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Arjuna looked up in wonderment:

Yes, you told me that when you gave methe Pashupatha. I feel that myconsciousness is expanding now It spansthe cycle of appearance anddisappearance.

Shiva continued mysteriously: Thisknowledge will last only for this night! Shornof the appendage of a corporeal body, themind can look into many past births andrenew old acquaintances.

Arjuna looked at Shiva and saw at his

feet the fruits and honey he had offered toKrishna!

Shiva looked again at his alter-ego:Krishna, when will your blue complexionmelt into my azure skin?

Arjuna watched with wonderment atKrishnas answer: Very soon! Your danceof dissolution will reverberate to thesymphony of my flute. We will sleep for acosmic night and again part, when the playof fantasy begins anew.

Shiva looked at a transparent lake ofpellucid water. There were two serpentsslithering on its waters and one had athousand hoods. Arjuna and Krishna werechanting the Maharudra. The snakesmelted away and materialised as a bow andan arrow. Shiva looked at the lake againand a fierceBrahmachari appeared at hiswill. He strung the bow and fitted the arrow,chanting the incantations for invoking thePashupatha. Now the fierce mendicant

disappeared and the bow and arrow becamesnakes again. When they also vanished, onlythe ripple-less waters of the crystal lake wasseen.

Shiva now spoke again: Arjuna, thatis the way you should use your bow andarrow tomorrow. Fit a crescent-headedarrow, called in military parlance as an

Anjaleeka, to your bow and infuse it with

the power of this Pashupatha chant. Youwill then never miss your aim.

Arjuna and Krishna were back again intheir physical bodies. Arjuna lost hisperception of his former births but his meetingwith Shiva and the instructions he receivedwere vivid in his memory.

Arjuna was sleeping from exhaustion,but Krishna went to his charioteer Daruka inthe wee hours of morning.

I may have to do some fightingtomorrow, breaking my vow of not partakingin battle. Yoke my four war-horses to mybattle-chariot. Let the ensign of Garudaflutter atop my canopy. Place my weaponsin my wagon The discus Sudarshana andthe club Kaumodhaki. Also equip my chariotwith my bow Sharnga and my quivers, andmy sword by name Nandana. If you hearme blow the classical note by name

Rishabha on my Panchajanya, bring mychariot to the scene of battle guided by thesignal.

The night of waiting came to a mercifulend.

At daybreak, Drona arranged the vanof the army in the shape of a cart. He stoodbehind this phalanx and guarded the secondarray which resembled a lotus in blossom.At the rear was a spike-headed force whichshielded the panicky Jayadratha. The entirecordon of warriors stretched up to a distanceof twelve miles.

Arjuna and Krishna blew on their

Devadatta and Panchajanya, and the blareof the two shells rattled the psyche ofJayadratha which was torn by the fear ofdeath. Arjuna scythed through the firstphalanx, scattering death on all sides.Ambidextrous as he was, he shot using bothhis arms and paralysed his foes.Durmarshana was beaten and fled forsuccour. Duhshasana took his place with an

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army of swarthy elephants. Arjuna sent theelephants trumpeting back in pain andpierced the desperado Duhshasanamercilessly. Crossing over the hostile ranksof war he very soon came to the outskirtsof the second battle-formation.

Arjuna genuflected with love andspoke to Drona: Master, I have taken theimpossible vow of killing Jayadratha beforesundown. Please bless me and let me passby.

Drona answered with a contemptuoussneer: I am now your enemy and you mustdefeat me in battle!

A brief scrimmage ensued but theAcharya proved his mettle and wasunconquerable.

Quickly Krishna manoeuvred thechariot and skirted round Drona,circumambulating him in a show of respect.Then the chariot flitted past in a quick foray.

The voice of an outwitted Drona was

heard by them: Are you fleeing in disgracefrom your enemy?

Arjuna answered from afar and hisresonant voice was borne by the wind: Youare my tutor and not my enemy. There isnobody on earth who can defeat you inbattle.

Arjuna was scything through thesuccessive petals of the lotus array whenthe mighty king Shruthayudha, mounted ona tusker, blocked his path. Shruthayudhas

mother had propitiated God Varuna andobtained an irresistible club from him. Shegave that club to her warrior-son with theassurance that it could slay any fighter onearth. Shruthayudha was invincible as longas he possessed that mace. However, themace would recoil back on Shruthayudhalike a boomerang and kill him if used onany unarmed person. Arjuna found that his

arrows were powerless on Shruthayudha.Krishna spoke about Varunas boon to abamboozled Arjuna. Shruthayudha now losthis temper in the heat of battle and, with hisreason warped by passion, hurled the clubon an unarmed Krishna! Krishna smiled asthe club hit gently on his chest andcatapulted back with the force of a fallingmeteor. Striking Shruthayudhas chest itrent his armour and the erring king collapsedon the neck of his elephant.

The Kurus scurried away in fear on

witnessing this catastrophe. The invinciblefighter Shruthayu came riding his splendidchariot and led the despairing Kurus. Hegrasped a spear and hurled it on Arjuna whofell reeling in pain, clutching his flagstaff forsupport. Recovering consciousness, hepierced Shruthayu fatally and scythedthrough line after line of his opponents.

Duryodhana was now paralysed by agripping fear. His cobra-banner was seenapproaching his master who was fighting far

away.Master, you were standing at the

entrance of this lotus-phalanx like Shankara,the great God of destruction, wielding hisbow Pinaka. And yet Arjuna hasoutmanoeuvred you and got past you!Perhaps I should have allowed Jayadrathato flee to his kingdom.

Dronas eyes flashed fire as heanswered in righteous exasperation.

I now realise that you are impossible

to please! Arjuna and Krishna are youngerthan me and quicker and more nimble intheir manoeuvres. I am keeping the entirePandava army at bay by fighting from here.If I got to Jayadrathas rescue, they will rushinto the opening in the phalanx made byArjuna and all will be hopelessly lost.Besides, I must try and take Yudhishthiraprisoner. I will tie a charmed armour on

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your chest. This magic armour will protect

you from Arjunas weapons.

Drona chanted a few esoteric hymnsand accoutred Duryodhana in animpregnable armour. During the days ofyore Indra had bestowed this armour onAngirasa, the sage of the heavens who oftenfeatures in the Rig Veda. Brihaspathi, thetutor of the gods, had obtained this armourfrom him and had passed it on to sageAgnivesha, the tutor of Drona. It wasAgnivesha who had presented this

breastplate to Drona and also imparted tohim its weak points and mysteries. The epicsays that Drona was an incarnation of thecelestial sage Brihaspathi. This perhapsexplains his excessive fondness for Arjunaamong all his pupils, for Arjuna was bornwith the spirit of Indra who was Brihaspathisward in heaven.

Meanwhile the sun had reached itszenith and Jayadratha was still a long wayoff. Arjunas horses were celestial and were

immune to death. Yet, they were badlypierced and mauled. Seeing them fatiguedand worn-out Krishna stopped the chariot.

Arjuna! Your horses need some waterto drink.

Arjuna and Krishna leapt down fromtheir chariot and unyoked the war-horses.

Arjuna created a fort of arrows aroundhis tired horses and shielded them fromattack. He invoked God Varuna, the lordof the hydrosphere, and cracked up an

opening in the ground. A jet of cool waterspouted out from the fissure and formed apool. Seeing a limpid pool in a sanguinebattlefield several birds flew low on the sky!Krishna looked as charming as a pastoralcowherd when he unyoked the horses andquenched their thirst. Seeing this humaneact of idyllic bliss even the savage Kauravasstopped fighting and cried in wonder. The

poet portrays an aesthetic sceneso romantic

and so compassionatein the midst of his crueldescription of a thoughtless battle. Krishnawas skilled in the art of handling horses andhe nursed their wounds with love. Hecaressed them with his yellow-silk andfondled them in tender affection. Therefreshed horses were harnessed back to thechariot and Arjuna was now on his way.

Duryodhanas cobra-banner was seentearing through the dust of battle. The princehaughtily stood in front of the careering

chariot.Arjuna, show me your much vaunted

valour and strike me down in combat!

Arjunas arrows struck Duryodhanasarmour but were splintered by the impact andfell off in bits.

Krishna was now definitelybamboozled: Have the arrows given by GodAgni lost their power?

Arjuna bent to the front and spoke toKrishna: That fool is wearing the charmed


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armour given by Drona just as a bullockcarries a heavy load. I have a weapon thatcan splinter it, but it can be used only once.

Arjuna fixed the scorchingManavastra to his bow and sent it speedingat Duryodhana. Several miles away,Ashwatthama sensed this danger and spokea mystic chant that only he knew. This chanttook the form of an arrow and neutralisedthe power of Arjunas Manavastra.Arjuna was bewitched by Ashwatthamaspower of askesis and silently admired hispreceptors son.

Arjuna shot down Duryodhanashorses and charioteer and deprived him ofhis chariot. He pierced Duryodhanasfingers and wrist, as these were not coveredby armour. Shrieking in pain the Kuruprince took to his heels! Arjuna moweddown his opponents and came out of thelotus-phalanx. Now only the spike-headedforce was left to be dealt with.

The sun was gradually sloping towardsthe west and Arjuna was now reallyworried. Jayadratha was still two milesaway and the cream of the Kaurava armywas surrounding him. Arjuna began toattack the formation in the shape of aneedleIt was a tough job since the warriorswere tightly packed and were of provedmettle. Six great heroesKarna, Shalya,Ashwatthama, Kripa, Bhurishravas andJayadrathapressed hard on Arjuna.

Krishna was rather destabilised and

wanted help from the Pandavas. He blewa shrill note on the Panchajanya thatdrowned the twang of Arjunas Gandeeva.This he did repeatedly and obscured thetwang of Arjunas bowstring for quite sometime.

Meanwhile, the Pandava hosts wereengaging the cart-array and the frontal end

of the lotus-array starting from daybreak.Drona shot down Dhrishtadyumnas bowand slew his coursers and charioteer. Takinghis buckler and a sword Dhrishtadyumnaleapt down from his broken carriage andengaged Drona. Impinging himself on the

Acharya he jumped on Dronas shafts andyoke, harrying the charioteer and horsesgreatly. Drona pulled his bowstring to theear and shot at Dhrishtadyumna and wouldhave ended his life but for Satyakis timelyintervention. Satyakis shaft hissed out like

a snake freshly sloughed and intercepted theAcharyasmissile in transit.

These two combatants now clashedand Satyaki shot down Dronas bowssuccessively. The great Acharya lost ahundred and one bows before he couldshoot a single arrow.

Drona mused in a strange fascination:This Satyaki is as skilled as GodKarthikeya, Arjuna, Bheeshma orKartaveerya Arjuna. I am enchanted by his

immaculate markmanship!Drona invoked the God of fire and

inspired an arrow with his energy. A ball ofscorching fire blazed past the warriors andhurtled towards Satyaki. Satyakisummoned the God of the oceans andsprayed a jet of water on this conflagration.The fire sputtered and emitted a series ofsharp, explosive sounds before dying out.Only the embers of Dronas missile wereseen littering the ground!

Yudhishthira heard the blare of thePanchajanya but could not discern the twangof the Gandeeva that had been obliterated:Krishnas manoeuvre had succeeded.Growing apprehensive, the eldest Pandavaspoke to Satyaki.

Your teacher Arjuna seems to be inperilPlease rush to his rescue.


12/24


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12

But Drona might seize you alive if Ileave you vulnerable and unprotected!

There are a host of others here todefend me in battle.

Satyaki fixed the banner of a lion onhis chariot-hood. Two silvery-white horseswere yoked to his carriage. Having drunkwild-honey and refreshed himself, heequipped his wagon with bows and quiversof arrows. Scything through his opponentshe passed by the cart-array effortlessly.

Drona blocked Satyakis path: Yourteacher Arjuna skirted round me like acoward and fled in disgrace!

Satyaki retorted ironically: A discipleshould always emulate his Guru!

Satyakis charioteer circumambulatedDronas chariot and passed by in a trail ofdust!

Kritavarma came and opposed hiscousin in battle. Satyaki had not forgivenhim for joining Duryodhana and his fury was

patently visible in his ruthless onslaught.Kritavarma fell bleeding and backed awayin fear. Passing through several layers ofenemy forces, Satyaki came to the frontalend of the needle-array and saw Arjuna.Scattering arrows on all sides like the blueGod of dissolution, Arjuna was menacinghis foes who had hemmed him in on all sides.

An anxious Yudhishthira spoke toBheema: Even now I hear only the shrill

blare of the Panchajanya. Perhaps Arjunaand Satyaki are dead and Krishna is fightinghimself! Please go into the phalanx of ourfoes and rescue them. If you see them alive,sound your lion-roar.

Bheema turned to Dhrishtadyumna: Ientrust Yudhishthira in your care. I knowthat you can protect him from Drona, for

you have been born as Dronas ultimate

nemesis.Bheema tore through the enemy ranks

and reached the presence of Drona. Hehurled his club at Drona and in an instantDronas chariot was an unrecognisable massof wood and splinters. The horses and driverlay in a pool of blood. Drona came back inanother chariot but it was dragged hither andthither by the vengeful Bheema. Drona losthis balance and fell toppling, rolling on the mud.Drona lost eight chariots in succession and

gave up his hopeless fight with a determinedBheema!

Reaching the presence of Arjuna andSatyaki, Bheema roared like a lion. The subtleenergy of god Hanuman enhanced theshattering power of the roar. Arjuna andKrishna also yelled back in triumph andYudhishthira who heard the cacophony wasfinally at peace.

(to be contd......)


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Prof. Sri Nishi Kanta Sanyal

(Contd. from November issue)It is no doubt feasible to try to identify

the site, which by the hypothesis itselfrequires in the attempters the possessionof the knowledge of the reality, by empiric

methods also only by the grace of Sridhamitself. The people of the present municipaltown of Navadwip say that their city is notSridham Mayapur the birthplace of SriChaitanya. They assert that the birthplacewas washed away by the Ganges and sodisappeared completely long ago. Thetruth of this is questioned for partly differentreason by the devotees as well as thescientists. Both maintain that the site existsin tact and is also identifiable.

But if the place viz. the mundane villageof Mayapur actually exists why should ithave become necessary to discover it atall? How could it ever completely go outof the memory of the nation ? Sri Chaitanyahad many devoted followers in His timeand the community of His professedfollowers has always been considerable inthe country since the day when He beganto teach the religion. The holy site of Hisbirth has all along been definitely recognisedas a place of special sanctity and pilgrimage

of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community. Inthese circumstances how was it possiblefor them to forget the site altogether ? Thisis all the more unaccountable if we hear inmind the fact that the holy site of SriVrindavan discovered and identified by SriChaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself has notbeen forgot in spite of strenuous attemptson the part of mahommadans to suppress

the shrines. So the forgetfulness cannot bedue to neglect produced by the decline ofreligious spirit in the community orpersecution by the Mohammadans. Ashifting town of Navadwip maintained its

existence and some portion of the oldprosperity throughout the same period. InBengal itself there exist to this day townsthat are older than the time of SriChaitanyadeva. The times were notevidently utterly barbarous. Neither doesit appear that the Chaitanyites ever becamepolitically dangerous and the objects ofspecial persecution at the hands of theMohammadan government. On thecontrary we are told, what has never againhappened, that a number of Mohammadanssought and obtained admission into thecommunity of Chaitanyas followers beingpermitted by Sri Chaitanyadeva Himself.The doctrine of Sri Chaitanya have nopolitical features, direct or remote. Theyare on the contrary remarkable for theirextreme unworldliness. The original leadersof the movement appear to have beensingularly free from all taint of political orsocial ambition. Sri Rupa and Sri SanatanaGoswamis who organised the discipline and

faith of the community fitted themselves fortheir mission by renouncing unreservedlypositions of the highest political power.Orthodox brahmans on entering thecommunity became loyal servants ofVaishnavas born in the lowest castes or evenof Mohammadan parentage. Or of thegreatest teachers of the community in thetime of Sri Chaitanya was a converted non-

Sridham MayapurThe Holy Birth-Place ofThe Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

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Hindu. The movement from its very inceptionseems thus to have been characterised byabsence of all worldly prejudices andambitions, social, political, racial or credal.

The Chaitanyites are the makers of theBengali language. They have also addedmany of its highest spiritual treasures to theSanskrit literature. They have handed downto us detailed accounts of the movement intheir records which, as we shall see lateron, make the task of the identification ofthe site of Sridham Mayapur both easy and

possible by means of the scientific method.These broad facts would incline one

to believe that the village of Sri ChaitanyasNativity should not only be well-known tomost persons of to-day but should be inactual possession of priceless mementos ofthe past in the shape of splendid shrines andsacred structures of every kind and quality.The present town Navadwip contains anumber of such shrines; but few, if any, ofthem are barely a century old. But nowhere

do we find any assemblage of really ancientshrines on a scale that should mark out,in abefitting manner, the site of Navitiy itself.

The only theory that seems toharmonise to a certain extent with thesefacts is that of the almost total and suddendestruction at the initial stages of the mainportion of the old city by erosion by thecurrent of the Bhagirathi. Our availableauthorities provide a basis for such a theory.We are informed that very soon after the

disappearance of the Lord a mightyearthquake completely changed the courseof the river which swept away a great partof the old town of Navadwip which partalso probably remained under water for along time afterwards. A large stretch ofcountry on all sides was also more or lesssubmerged. This prevented the erecton ofany structural shrines on the site of the

o u t

Nativity in the period immediately followingthe disappearence of the Lord when theoldest extant shrines of the community werebuilt. But the memory of the site and partsof the site itself survived in literature downto almost recent times. Perambulation ofthe nine islands by bands of devotees wereperformed regularly even as late as twohundred years ago. Details of the topograpyhave been handed down to us by some ofthe authors for the guidance of pilgrims onsuch occasions.

The course of the Bhagirathi continuedto shift endlessly. Those shiftings havebecome less and less destructive with lapseof time. But the country round the main cityof old Navadwip appears to have beenpermanently deserted and remained full of

jungle, inhabited till very recent times by afew isolated families, the remnants of the oldpopulation or later immigrants who clung tothe neighbourhood of the site under verygreat discouragements. The presentpopulation is for the most part recent

immigrants.The accounts for the fewness of the

extant old monuments or their relics in thecountry about Navadwip. The present townof Navadwip itself is not much older than acentury and a quarter and contains a numberof shrines which have been built quiterecently.

In these circumstances we can expectvery little help from the ordinaryarchaeological sources. Local tradition has

also become confused on account of theperpetual shiftings of the population and therecent growth of the present town ofNavadwip, the head-quarters of thedescendants of some of the most renownedfollowers of Sri Chaitanya Deva, whobecame the hereditary gurus of largenumbers of disciples in every part of thecountry.

14

(to be continued)


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If we are thus convinced of thenecessity of consulting a real sadhu weshould be able to find him out and he willexplain to us the mode of life recommendedby the shastras, which we should lead inthis world, for the benefit of our souls. Thesadhu is a transcendental person whose lifeif wholly regulated by the scriptures. TheAbsolute Truth is never partial or less thancomplete. The awakened soul of thesadhuis necessarily and completely free from alltouch of untruth or half truth. The liferecommended by the scriptures is the lifethat is led by the sadhu. It is not possiblefor worldly people to understand unassistedthe nature of spiritual living because it iscategorically different from the life led bythemselves. This difference between the

two is not confined to this or that isolatedaspect. It is to be found in every singledetail of conduct. The change from worldlyto spiritual life is not of the nature of reformbut is truly a compete revolution.

If we now return to the question Isthe soul benefited by eating ? we find thatthe holy Scriptures give a difinite reply. Theyforbid us to eat. They tell us that we mustdo nothing but serve the spritiual. By eatingany kind of food which is a material

substance only the mind and body arebenefited and not the soul. By giving upeating body and mind suffer death which,however, has no jurisdiction over the soul.The body and mind, in as muh as they hapento be material, cannot serve the spiritual.They stand in the way and prevent our soulfrom serving its transcendental Lord. Ifwe allow our body and mind to die of

2

S i

m

(Contd. from November issue) starvation such process also does not benefitthe soul because the body and mind isimmediately renewed in some other form.The proper use of our body and mind wouldbe their employment in the service of God ifthat were possible. The shastras say thatthis is possible if we place our bodies whollyat the disposal of the sadhus or in other

words agree to a complete change of ourpresent mode of life. It means arevolutionary change. We must actually giveup all connection with this world alreadyformed by the mind and body and dedicatethem entirely for the service of the Lordwhich is to be learnt at the feet of the sadhuwho possesses the identical kind of life. Ifwe are sincerely prepared by body, mindand speech to forego all mundane ambitionsand to serve nothing but the Absolute Truthfor Its own sake the Lord Himself Who isthe Absolute Truth is pleased to accept ourbody and mind offered for such purpose,and by His acceptance makes them fit forspiritual service. The change is understooddimly at first by the person himself. Thesadhus are privileged to notice it but thechange is not really intelligible to boutjivas.To the view of sinful persons the activitiesof the mind and body thus spiritualisedappear to be as much material as those ofthe material body and mind without being

really so.The person who is liberated from the

bondage of the world continues to performthe ordinary natural functions of the bodyand mind apparently in the same way as onewho is in the bound state. He also appearsto eat and drink, sleep and die like ordinaryworldly people. The process of eating ofsuch a person is thus described in the

The Mahaprasad or the Great FavourPrabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur


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16

Shastras. A person whose body and mind

have been accepted by the Lord is privilegedto approach the Lord and offer Him foodand drink. The Lord is pleased to acceptthe food offered by such a person. By theacceptance of the Lord the food isspiritualised in the same way as the bodyand mind is spiritualised by their dedicationto the Lord. This dedication of all food tothe Lord is in the case of such a persontruly an act of renunciation of all materialfood. The food that is accepted by the Lord

is spiritualised and changed intomahaprasador the great blessing. Thesadhu accepts the mahaprasadnot for thepurpose of appeasing hunger or for theacquisition of bodily or mental health andstrength or for any other worldly purposebut with the object of being enabled therebyto avoid the traps laid for him during hissojourn into this world by sensuoustemptations of all kinds including that ofeating and obtain by thus honouring themahaprasad the inclination for the spiritualservice of the Lord. Honouring themahaprasadis thus different from eatingalthough to the uninitiated the two mayappear to be identical. The external formappears to remain the same although thereal nature of the activity is radicallychanged. The result is that whereas by eatingthe sensuous inclination is strenghtened, byhonouring themahaprasadgluttony and itsattendant vices are radically cured.

Mahaprasadliterally means the great

favour. The benefit to the soul that resultsby honouring the mahaprasadis also opento the bound jiva. The Lord does not acceptfood offered by the bound jiva. But if thebound jiva honours mahaprasadhis soulis benefited in the way already described.

The food that has been offered by the sadhus

to the Lord is categorically different fromordinary food. To take ordinary food isharmful for the soul. By honouringmahaprasadnot only is the soul saved fromthe bad effect of eating but is positivelybenefited by obtaining the inclination forspiritual service. The shastras, therefore, tellus to give up eating and honour themahaprasad. If the palate is conqueredevery other sense is conquered. We cannever be freed from the attraction of sensuous

temptations until we give up eating altogetherand learn to honour the mahaprasadam. Byhonouring the mahaprasad oursensuousness is diminished and ultimatelydiasappears altogether and it is only then thatwe are enabled to understand the realmeaning of the shastras.

The sadhuhelps the fallenjiva to regainhis natural state of freedom from sin andconstant service of the Lord by bringing aboutdescent of the transcendental sound in theform of words uttered by his lips and the

mahaprasadin the shape of food that isoffered by him to the Lord. The sounduttered by the sadhu and the mahaprasadare not things of this world. They are notidentical with ordinary sound or ordinaryfood which are only means for thegratification of our sensuous inclinations andappetites. The Word of God andmahaprasadcannot be enjoyed or in otherwords cannot be used for the gratification ofthe senses, because they are spiritual. Thosewho enjoy the kirtan or any spiritualdiscourse or eat the mahaprasad forappeasing hunger or gratification of the palateare guilty of sacrilegious acts which serve onlyto prolong the stake of sin and ignorance ofthe greatest possible calamity that can befallthe human soul.

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The empiric sciences which are theoutcome of the efforts of the reason to getrid of the consequeces of its folly are reallythe fetters forged by itself which bind it allthe more securely to a false existence. Thevery first step that has to be taken in the

right direction is to try seriously to realisethe nature of this perversity or sin. Oncethis perversity is clearly perceived the verysciences which have till now served toconfirm our ignorance will be found to beof the utmost help in freeing us from thebondage of the world. There is nothing tobe lost by the change of front andeverything is to be gained in the only truesense.

Srimad Bhagavatam and SriChaitanya Mahaprabhu tell us of thistranscendental existence in which in spiteof analogical resemblance everything isdifferent from those things with which weare familar in this world, even as thesubstance is different from its distortedshadow. The amours of Sri Krishna arecategorically different from the sexualperformances of the debauchees of thisworld because they are the eternal verityof which the latter form the unwholesome,perverted reflection. It is our eternal duty

to have much to do with the one and nothingat all to do with the other. We are freedfrom the delusion and snare of sexualitythrough the realisation of the spiritualamours of the Divine Pair. The knowledgeof te spiritual amours of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna are the medicine of thediseased sou afflicted with the maladyof sexuality. The amours of the Divine

Pair are the highest Truth and the lastto be realised on the path of spiritualendeavour. This is the teaching of theSrimad Bhagavata.

We have to reach this goal bygraduated states of progress. It is first ofall necessary to listen to the tidings of the

spiritual world from the lips of those whohave actually realised the life eternal. Suchpersons alone can properly expound theSrimad Bhagavata. Sri ChaitanyaMahaprabhu is the ideal exponent of theSrimad Bhagavata. His life is the Bhagavatareduced to the terms of the duties of every-day life of this world to enable us to reallyunderstand and realise the Truth. Any onewho reads with an unbiased mind theilluminating volumes penned by Hisassociates and eminent followers with the

object of transmitting to all succeedinggenerations the particulars of His life andteachings, can never fail to realise theimperative necessity for everyone of us tofollow in His foot-steps. We are therebyenabled to understand that the spiritualworld really exists, that it is the realm of theconcrete Absolute, that it cannot be attainedby our own unassisted efforts for the reasonthat the Absolute refuses to reveal itself toour self-asserting tiny soul, that it is necessary

to approach the Reality by the method ofsubmission, that this method of submissionto the Absolute has to be learnt, also by themethod of submission, from those who haveactually realised the Absolute and that thereactually exist among us such God-sentteachers of the relilgion. Once this necessityof submitting to the spiritual preceptor isclearly realised one is thereby enabled to

The Erotic Principle and Unalloyed DevotionSri Narayan Das Bhakti Sudhakar

(Contd from November issue)


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j e

18

find out the right kind of preceptor. This is

the first manifestation of the Absolute Truthto the sincere seeker. The next stage ofprogress consists in attentive listening to thewords of the good preceptor simultaneouslycarrying them out into practice to the extentthat they are understood, that is to sayapproved, by our reason. It is only afterundergoing a complete course of trainingthat we are enabled to reach the goal viz., aright understanding of the narrative of thetranscendental amours of the Divine Pair.

The spiritual pupilage is indispensableand is the key to the situation. Those whoprofess to understand the Bhagavatawithout having passed through the completecourse of such training by the method ofsincere submission to the good preceptorare denied all access to the real meaning ofthe narrative of the Bhagavata. There aremany professed followers of Sri ChaitanyaMahaprabhu who ignore the necessity offollowing His teaching. They reap only sinand degradation by their study of theBhagavata. Their misrepresentations ordepraved conduct need not stand in the wayof our honest enquiry into the actualdoctrines of Srimad Bhagavata in the lightof the practice and teaching of Sri ChaitanyaMahaprabhu and His associates and sincerefollowers.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu hasdeclared that Sri Krishna is served properlyonly by the denizens and specially the milk-maids of Vraja. That it is not possible for

anyone who is not perfetly free from sin torealise the nature of such service. It isnecessary to pass through a regualr courseof spiritual training under a good preceptorto be able to understand what is really isand to be able to practise it. By attainingsuch service we realise the eternal functionof our souls. This service cannot beperformed by means of this body or mind.

d d d d d d d

(to be continued)

It is performed by the pure soul which is

absolutely free from all worldly hankeringsincluding the sexual. This service is a matterof spiritual realisation and not of apishimitation with the help of our present ribaldimagination. By sincere, that is to sayconvinced, submission to the rules of spiritualpupilage as laid down in the scriptures andexpounded by competent teachers one isenabled to attain to such perfect purity ofmind. The Absolute Truth manifests itself ofits own accord, for it has the power of taking

the initiative, to the mind that is thus purifiedin the sincere effort of seeking after itself.Absolute purity of the mind is attainable.Relative purity is a delusion and a snare andwill not serve the purpose at all. TheBhagavata should never be read withoutbearing in mind these warnings of thescriptures. Otherwise there will be theabsolute certainty of confounding the spiritualwith the material and being punished with theacquisition of a positive repugnance for themedicine which alone can heal the distempersof mortality or misapplying the same to onesutter ruin. It is not the counsel of intoleranceor superstitious faith but the highestconclusion of the unbiased reason in its effortto be absolutely loyal to its own constituentprinciples. The above position has beenreached by the proper exercise of rationalitywhich is the one unerring guide of our realself.

The spiritual milkmaids of Vraja serveSri Krishna with all their senses and for His

satisfaction alone. Sri Krishna is a realPerson. He is the sole Proprietor ofeverything. We are His property. Our sensesare also His property. He has got senseslike our souls which are made after His Image.Our present material senses are anunwholesome perversion of the reality. Atpresent we want to serve ourselves by meansof our senses.


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Personality of the Supreme LordSri Sunil

At many places in Srimad BhagavadGita, the words Mam, Asmi,Man,Mamaand Aham are spoken byKrishna, these words mean I, Me andI am. By these words Krishna is meaningHimself the Supreme Person standingbefore Arjuna and not that something void,or something inside, or some sound or white

light etc., as a few pseudo philosophersmake Him out to be.

Sri Krishna is the Supreme Person withinfinite energies, how can any one everimagine Him to be just a sound ? How is itpossible that there is just a sound with nosource of that sound ? That sound shouldcome from some one and that SupremePerson is Sri Krishna. He is not even just awhite light like many people are made tobelieve. How can a light come from

nowhere ? It should have a source. Howcan something come from nothing ?Everything should have a source and thatsource out of which everything is comingout is Lord Krishna. In Ishopanishad adevotee is praying

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O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives,Your real face is covered by your dazzlingeffulgence. Please remove that covering andexhibit Yourself to your pure devotees.

From this verse we can clearlyundestand that the Lord has that effulgencewhich has covered Him. And it is at theLords sweet will, has to remove theeffulgence and give darshan to His puredevotee.

People always think that the ultimate

is a formless spirit and that formless spirittransforms into Krishna, Siva, Vishnu andthirty three million other demigods. At theultimate end, they think, all will merge againinto voidness. But Srimad Bhagavad Gitastates just the opposite. The Lord saysaham sarvasya prabhavahI am thesource of all (Bh.G.10.8). Further more,

aham kritsnasya jagatah prabhavahpralayastathaI am the creator anddestroyer of this entire universe(Bh.G.7.6). These statements prove thatKrishna is the absolute truth. But is the Lordreferring to His void aspect or His personalaspect ? The answer is very strong.

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The ignorant (the impersonalist)

consider me as something unmanifest at first(Brahman) and made manifest afterwordsas human form liable to perish. They do notknow My Supreme, transcendental, eternalhuman Form (Bh.G.7,24). Krishnas Formdoes not change, evaporate, dissolve ormerge into non existence, for it is not amaterial body. Krishnas Form is sat-chit-ananda and embodiment of eternity,knowledge and bliss. That such a form ofspiritual qualities exists beyond the threemodes of nature is inconceivable to a mind

overpowered by three modes, but it iscompletely clear to the minds of Hisdevotees, for by Bhakti and no other waycan one understand the Lord.

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In Brahma Samhita, Sri Brahmadevasays, I worship Lord Govinda, thePrimeval Lord, Who is Shyamasundara,Krishna Himself with inconceivableinnumerable Attributes, Whom the puredevotees see in their heart of hearts withthe eye of devotion tinged with the salve oflove. (Brahma Samhita V.38)

The Lord does have a Brahmanaspect of his Personality. The impersonalabsolute (Brahman) is subordinate to the

Lords personal feature, just as sun-light issubordinate to the sun. TheBrahmajyotiis the goal for theyogis who aspire to mergethemselves into it. Krishna says,brahmano hi pratishthaham, I am thebasis ofBrahmam (Bh.G.14.27). Thesource of this Brahmajyoti is KrishnaHimself, it is only the effulgence of His Body.Krishna reveals the personal aspect of HisPersonality only to a devotee who aspireto have a personal loving relationship withHim. Since love must be exchanged

between two persons the lover and thebeloved; an impersonal, abstract, formlessobjective cancels the possibility of devotionand Gita declares the Devotiion is the wayandananya, the only way.

When we say that the Lord does nothave an impersonal aspect, then we arerestricting Hispersonality to the personalaspect only. And it would mean thattheLord is not perfect. Infact he does havean impersonal aspect of Brahman, which

should be clearly understood to be only thebodily effulgence of the Lord and as thelowest aspect of God realisation. Oneshould aspire to cross this stage and cometo the stae of Bhagavan realisation, whichis the highest aspect of God Realisation.

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The perfect human nature,spiritual aspiration and holyassociation, all these are the outcomeof divine grace, so also they are rarelyfound in this world. Human beingsare plenty but human nature is seldomfound in them. Everyone strives forperishable gains but quite a few areinterested in achieving eternal wellbeing. Evil company has become auniversal phenomena whereas holyassociation is relished by rarest of thefortunate souls. Without acquiringthese three fold rare qualities, humanlife cannot become worthy.

Niti Shastra


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(Contd. from July issue)

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SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITAyTyo

ufioyzD: CHAPTER-III

N|zT:KARMA YOGA

It is kama that screens and deludesthe whole world with nescience or ignorance sometimes loosely, sometimes deeplyand sometimes very deeply. Just as firelurking in smoke can be made easily visible,so also thejiva can think of on God, eventhe normal function of his real self is slightlyinfluenced by kama, at this stage, ajivawhose animation is just like a budding flower,mukulita chetana, engages himself indevotional services prescribed byscriptures. The worst condition of a fallen

soul is like that of a mirror covered by dustand thereby deprived of its quality ofreflection; deeply captivated by kama,though born as human, he cannot rememberGod, and so leads more an atheistic life.This shrinking condition of the innate natureof human soul may be conpared with thelife of lower animals like birds, beasts etc.,which possess Samkuchita chetana, theshrunken animation. The worst and the mostdeplorable condition of existence of anentirely engrossed human soul is like the

foetus in the womb, which is completelyenwrapped by the uterus, unable to makeany movement of its limbs and existingmiserably in the sac with enshroudedanimation,cchdita chetana; like trees,creeper, stones etc.

In this way, the whole universe isconvered by lust. 38

Refer Sri Chaitanya Sikshamritam for

more information.

Ewo rzoz ruz un{um @Nzm N{oz tzmz Y @@39@@

vritam jnnametenajnnino nityavairin |

kmarupena kaunteyadushpurennalena cha || 39

N{oz = O Arjuna (son of Kunti),r= the true knowledge,ru: = of a wiseperson, Ewo = is covered,Loz = by this,

un{um = eternal enemy,tzm = insatiable,Ez Y = fire,Nzm = of lust.O Arjuna, the son of Kunti, the true

knowledge of a wise person is covered bythis eternal enemy, insatiable fire of lust.

Refer to Srimad Bhagavatam IX.19.14; VII.9.25; IX.6.48; XI.26.14.

Thakur Narottam sings, what theselust and anger can do an aspirant who chantsthe Name of Krishna constantly in the holyassociation of Sadhus. Hearing the loudchant of Hari Nama lust runs away as theherd of elephants run away on hearing theroaring of a lion. 39

Futum z uueXoz @Lo{u|znz rwn tzu@@40@

Indiryni mano buddhi-rasydhishthnamuchyate |

etairvimohayatyesha jnnamvritya dehinam || 40


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GXoz= It is said,Futum = The sense-organs,: = mind,u:= and intellect,Eue= are the seats, E = of this lust.L: = This kama, Ewn = enveloping,r= this wisdom,Lo{: = by these viz. sense-organs, mind and intelligence,uzuo =deludes,tzu= the engrossed jiva.

It is said, the sense organs, mind andintellect are the seats of this lust. Thiskamaenveloping the wisdom by these viz. thesense-organs, mind and intelligence, deludes

the engrossedjiva. Kama is therefore, thedeadliest foe of the jiva, but still when afallen soul takes absolute shelter in theLotus Feet of Sri Krishna, Krishna appearsbefore him as sadguru, whosetranscendental words, when listened to withrapt attention, liberate him from the terriblegried of the octopus like kama.40

onnuutlt{ u o| @ \u z rur@@41@@

Tasmttvamindriynydauniyamya bharatarshabha |

ppmnam prajahi hyenam jnnavijnnanshanam || 41

o| = Arjuna, the best of Bharata,oo = therefore,u = havingcontrolled, i.e. engaging in My service ,Et{= in the beginning itself, Futum = thesenses, mind and intellect,n = you,\u= kill (transform into Divine Kama),L u= this, = deadly foe kama,rur

= which destroys pure intelligence andLoving Devotion to Me.

Arjuna, the best of Bharata, therefore,having controlled (i.e., engaging in Myservice) in the beginning itself, the senses,mind and inellect, you kill (transform intoDivine Kama) this deadly foe kama, whichdestroys pure intelligence and LovingDevotion to Me.

The first duty of a fallen soul is topractisesva-dharma with genuine asceticismand then to follow the gradual steps that arelaid down by the saints in the path of unalloyeddevotion a path which is beyond theintellect of a fallen soul but attainable only byMy Grace and by the grace of My devotees.

Refer to Srimad Bhagavatam I.6.36;XI.26.22. 41

Futum luutz: : @

o uz| z: oo :@@42@@Indriyni parnyhu-rindriyebhyah param manah |

manasastu par buddhi-ryo buddheh paratastu sah || 42

Futum = The senses, E: = are said,um = as great (to matter),: = mind,= is greater,Futum= than the senses,u:= intellect, = is greater,: o = thaneven the mind,: = and that,o: o= whichis even greater than,z:= the intellect,: =is he (the soul whose very form is chit).

The senses are said as great (to matter).Mind is greater than the senses. Intellect isgreater than even the mind. And that whichis even greater than the intellect is he (thesoul whose very form is chit).

Jivas real nature is to render serviceto the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna alone. Butthe misidentifies the real self i.e., the eternalservitor of the Lord with the perverted ego,senses, mind and intelligence, due to thedelusion caused by kama or maya which

has enthralled him because of his abuse offree will and progetfulness of his real selfand of the Lord. 42

Lord advises Arjuna to conquer kamaby acquiring the transcendental

knowledge


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