Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:   Chapter 7 - Knowledge of the Absolute

   TEXT 2

                       jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam
                         idam vaksyamy asesatah
                       yaj jnatva neha bhuyo 'nyaj
                          jnatavyam avasisyate

   WORD FOR WORD

   jnanam--phenomenal knowledge; te--unto you; aham--I; sa--with; vijnanam--numinous knowledge; idam--this; vaksyami--shall explain; asesatah--in full; yat--which; jnatva--knowing; na--not; iha--in this world; bhuyah--further; anyat--anything more; jnatavyam--knowable; avasisyate--remains.
 

TRANSLATION

   I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous. This being known, nothing further shall remain for you to know.
 

PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:

   Complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it, and the source of both of them. This is transcendental knowledge. The Lord wants to explain the above-mentioned system of knowledge because Arjuna is Krsna's confidential devotee and friend. In the beginning of the Fourth Chapter this explanation was given by the Lord, and it is again confirmed here: complete knowledge can be achieved only by the devotee of the Lord in disciplic succession directly from the Lord. Therefore one should be intelligent enough to know the source of all knowledge, who is the cause of all causes and the only object for meditation in all types of yoga practice. When the cause of all causes becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown. The Vedas (Mundaka Upanisad 1.3) say, kasmin bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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Prabhupada Uvacha:
(here's some nectar, sometimes it comes in the form of Srutakirti prabhu's diary, other times from Govinda dasi's diary, Hari Sauri prabhu's Transcendental Diary, Bhurijan prabhu's book, or sometimes from a letter, or other related source, but still nectar...)

Visnujana's cleaning mood

April, 1968

In his youthful enthusiasm Visnujana gets into a cleaning mood one day. He has been told that cleaning Krsna's temple is the same as cleaning your heart. Prabhupada had given the example that the more you decorate the original, the more the reflection is automatically decorated. The heart is the reflection of the original consciousness, Krsna, and the more Krsna and His paraphernalia are decorated, the more this will reflect in the heart, resulting in transcendental bliss. Happily cleaning everything, Visnujana cleans the clay mrdanga with water. He also cleans the Kartama-sayi Deity with water. The Deity had been painted in India, with a water based paint, and now the paint starts to run. In despair, he realizes he overdid it.

Saradiya devi dasi: Malati took the Deity home and repainted Him with enamel. I remember bringing the Deity back to the temple in a car and holding Him on my lap. I was completely in awe holding Krsna.

Seeing Visnujana's cleaning mood, Upendra engages him in painting the moldings surrounding the light fixtures in the center of the ceiling. Enthusiastic to beautify the temple, Visnujana chants blissfully as he paints.

Upendra: He was very intensely painting, but then he'd start chanting, and he'd start painting off the border of the molding. He chanted all the time. It seemed to me at the time, that he was always chanting so intensely that he couldn't give his attention to anything else he was doing. They had to stop him from driving. The devotees used to take turns driving our vehicle, but when Visnujana drove he started chanting to the distraction of his driving. So he wasn't allowed to drive.

Jayananda usually returns to the temple quite late after driving his taxi all day. If he sees that no one has cleaned the kitchen, he will just clean the kitchen himself, as well as carry out the garbage. By doing it himself, Jayananda inspires others to do service. He encourages Visnujana's youthful exuberance to beautify the temple. "This is great, Prabhu. I want to help. Actually, you're such a good devotee. I'm not much of a devotee myself."

"No, you're a very great devotee, Jayananda. You're always..."

"No, no," Jayananda interrupts. "I don't have any qualification. I just like to serve. But otherwise you're much more sincere than I am. I've been here for so long and still I'm not surrendered. Look at how you just joined, and you're very enthusiastic and surrendered."

Like everyone else in the temple, Visnujana learns about the true qualities of a Vaisnava from this mood of Jayananda.

Visnujana feels great joy rendering devotional service in the temple, knowing that God is personal. The devotees have finally convinced him of that. But one day he comes across a verse in the old brown Srimad-Bhagavatam he has purchased from Prabhupada. He is reading the description of the universal form where it is written that this is just for the neophyte devotees. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.30) Visnujana misinterprets this, thinking that Prabhupada is stating, "Krsna is a person but it is just for the neophytes."

Upendra: He was sitting with the Bhagavatam in his lap at Frederick Street temple and he was crying. He was really upset because he thought he had been fooled. He was convinced that God was personal, then he read in Prabhupada's purport that the personal aspect of God is only for the neophytes. But he had misread it because it was the universal form that was for the neophytes. Anyway he was informed by Swamiji that, "You misread. Krsna is eternally personal." So he regained his composure and felt happy again. He had really been unhappy. He felt cheated.

- From the "Radha-Damodara Vilasa" by HG Vaiyasaki dasa

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"Breaking Our Karmic Chains"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.26
Bombay, January 3, 1975

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Nitai: "This false ego is characterized as the doer, as an instrument and as an effect. It is further characterized as serene, active or dull according to how it is influenced by the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance."

Prabhupada:

kartrtvam karanatvam ca
karyatvam ceti laksanam
santa-ghora-vimudhatvam
iti va syad ahankrteh
 [SB 3.26.26]

So last night we discussed Sankarsana. Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. Four expansion are there for taking charge of four kinds of different activities. So this false ego and the material world, "I am this body," they are also divided into three, santa, ghora, and mudhatvam, according to the modes of material nature. Santa means sober, serene. Persons who are in the modes of goodness, for them, this material world is manifest in the matter of its constituency. And those who are in modes of goodness, they can see things as they are. And the ghora, those who are in the modes of passion, they are unnecessarily going on, making plan and full of activities without any aim of life. And mudhatvam, that is like animal, do not know what is the aim of life, what for he is working, what is the value of life, nothing of the sort.

So this false ego, "I am this material body. I belong to this material world, I belong to this community, sect, or nation," so many, they are all based on ahankara. Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. Actually, every one of us who are in this material world, they are, we are all under the full control of this illusory energy and working differently according to the influence of the different modes of material nature. I am not real karta. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani [Bg. 3.27]. Gunaih karmani. I am under the influence of different gunas, and still, falsely, I am thinking that "I am the doer. I have got the capacity of acting. And the effect, whatever I have produced, it is due to my labor." This is called illusion, moha. Mohah ayam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This conception of life is moha. Moha, delusion or illusion, just like a person in feverish convulsion is lying unconscious, thinking something else. This is our position. Moho 'yam. So our real business is how to get out of this moha.

So Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, They are controlling by different senses and the sense controller, different demigod. It is a very complicated situation, but we can get out of it by controlling the senses. That is also very difficult. At the present moment, especially in the Kali-yuga, that is also very difficult. The easiest way, as suggested by sastras and great personality, is bhaja vasudevam. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti santah.

yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya
karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti santah
tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-
sroto-ganas tam aranam bhaja vasudevam

Karmasayam, this false ego -- we are creating different hopes of activity: "I shall do this. I shall do that." Grathitam, they are very deep-rooted, grathitam. So we have to pluck out this karmasayam, the root of karma. Kuta-stha, then phalonmukha, and phala-prapti. There are three stages, karmasayam: kuta-stha, in the seed form, kuta-stha; then phalonmukham, sprouting; then prapta, prarabdha. In the beginning it is aprarabdha, not yet manifest, and prarabdha means manifest. The same example, as we have given several times, infection. We have infect... Suppose I have infected some chronic disease or infectious disease. It is not yet manifest, but it is kuta-stha. It is... In the seed form there is. Then, all of a sudden, we get some feverish condition. That is called phalonmukha. And when it is high fever and quite manifest, the delusion and so many other things, that is called prarabdha.

So we are all undergoing prarabdha-phalam, manifest phala, for our past deeds. So they are very deep-rooted. It is very difficult to uproot them. But there is one process. That is recommended: bhaja vasudevam. Bhaja... The others... There are many yogis, jnanis, they are trying to get out of the situation, kuta-stha, phalonmukha, prarabdha situation of our life. But Srimad-Bhagavata says that the devotees, they can very easily uproot the causes of our material miserable condition of life. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya. Vilasa. Vilasa means enjoying, and bhaktya means devotees. They are always attached to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh [SB 9.4.18]. The devotees are always engaged, they are always attached, padaravindayoh. Aravinda, lotus flower and the lotus feet. So devotees, they are concerned, always seeing the lotus feet of the Lord. They do not try to see even the face. Beginning with the lotus feet. The devotee begins offering tulasi leaves with sandalwood pulp and offering to the lotus feet of the Lord. That is their vilasa, enjoyment. Yad-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa. They enjoy. That is transcendental bliss, offering a little sandalwood pulp and tulasi leaves on the lotus feet of the Lord. Yat-pada-palasa-vilasa...pankaja-palasa-vilasa, vilasa. That is their vilasa.

Vilasa means enjoyment. Bhoga-vilasa. Devotees, they have no bhoga. They have vilasa, enjoyment. And indirectly, this is also bhoga, transcendental bliss, ecstasy. Sometimes they are crying. Sometimes they are shivering. Sometimes they are laughing. There are eight kinds of sattvika transformation. So when one is completely pure devotee, these symptoms are visible. That is called vilasa, enjoyment. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam. When one is engaged in that vilasa, enjoyment, spiritual blissful life, then the root cause of karma becomes vanished. Karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54]. In the Brahma-samhita it is said. They are no more interested with the attraction of fruitive activities. Karmasayam grathitam, very deep-rooted. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti. Very easily they can uproot. Tadvan na rikta-matayah. Rikta-matayah, those who are attached to live in the forest, in the mountain, in the cave, alone in a secluded place, and with great endeavor trying to stop the agitation of the senses... Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-sroto-ganah. Ruddha means controlled. The yogis especially, they do that. And jnanis also, they read philosophy, discuss philosophy. The yogis control the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamah. In this way they are trying to get out of this chain of fruitive activities. Karmasayam grathitam.

But devotees, being attracted to the flavor of the lotus flower of Krsna's feet, lotus flower... Krsna, His face is called also lotus-eyed, His navel is called padma-nabha, His feet is called lotus feet, pada-padma, and His garland is also padma. He is very much fond of padma. So when a devotee is attached to the lotus flower of Krsna's feet, automatically they forget the all such material activities. They haven't got to endeavor separately. The jnanis and the yogis, they are trying to, by their endeavor, by their different endeavors, they are trying to get out of this entanglement, but the devotees, simply by engaging himself in the vasudeva-bhakti, vasudeva-parayana, simply by bhakti, they come out of the entanglement without any difficulty. That is stated in this verse. Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo 'pi ruddha-sroto-ganas tam aranam. Sroto-ganas tam, stop functioning, they cannot do so nicely.

Therefore aranam bhaja vasudevam. Vasudeva is the ultimate aranam, ultimate shelter. Bhaja vasudevam. In other place also, it is said,

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
 [SB 1.2.7]

Janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam. One cannot understand what is the cause of a vasudeva-bhakta to become so much renounced. Just like in India these young men from America and Europe... They are surprised, "How they have become so much aloof from material activities?" It is surprising. That is... It is not surprising, because bhaja vasudevam: they have taken to the shelter of Vasudeva. If you do also, you shall become. But we are not inclined. In India, "Oh, Vasudeva, we have... We know everything of Vasudeva. Hare Krsna, oh, this is... What you can teach? We know everything." This is the Indian disease. Because familiarity breeds contempt. Because Indians are familiar with the name of Vasudeva, with the name of Hare Krsna, they think... Just like in European and American cities these boys and girls, they go for sankirtana, and the Indian people, they say, "Oh, we know everything about it. We have now come here to learn how to eat meat, how to drink wine." You see? This is the condition. Bhaja vasudevam -- this is not very much appealing. But this is the only way to become out of entanglement. Otherwise, this santa-ghora-vimudhatvam iti va syad ahankrteh. We shall always remain in this false ego that "I am this body. I am of this material world," no information of the spiritual world.

Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. They have no information. They do not know the svartha-gatim. Everyone is declaring, "I have my self-interest." But they do not know what is self-interest. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. Durasa, the hope which will never be fulfilled. What is that hope? They are trying to adjust this material world to become happy. This is durasa. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. Andha, and the leaders, they are also leading in that way. "Give up this Vedic culture. Throw away." The leaders say openly that "Throw away your sastras in the water. No more sastra. Now you take to industry, technology, if you want to become happy just like the Americans, like the Europeans." So the leaders, such leaders, have been described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, andha. Andha means blind. They do not know how to lead people, what is the aim of life. The aim of life is not to understand or learn some technical knowledge by which we can make some bodily comforts. That is not aim of life. The aim of life is different. We are part and parcel of God. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. Now we are separated. Not separated; just like a criminal is not separated from the state. He is in the state, but in a different condition. Similarly, we cannot be separated from God. That is not possible. We are part and parcel of God, but we can be separated by diseased condition. Just like my finger cannot be separated, or can be separated, but in the diseased condition it cannot work. It cannot work in its original, constitutional position. Similarly, due to our this material disease, we cannot properly serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our, the whole. We are part, and He is the whole. The complete. We are not... Some way or other we are detached. So we cannot be separated. But under certain conditions it appears that we are separated. This is forgetfulness, more or less.

So we have to revive this old consti... That is the whole subject matter of the Sankhya philosophy, Kapiladeva, how we are becoming degraded from the original state of Krsna consciousness. So our only business is how to revive again. That revival is possible only by this process, bhaja vasudevam. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Sudurlabhah mahatma, not ordinary mahatma. Mahatma, mahan atma yasya iti mahatma. Not cripple atma: "This is my community. This is my nation. This is my family. I have to maintain it. I have to make them..." This is not mahatma. Mahatma means one who is broader, Krsna consciousness. Sarva-yonisu. Krsna is the supreme father of all living entities, and they are suffering. Tato vimukha-cetasa maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. Prahlada Maharaja says that "I am simply anxious, perplexed only for these persons who are bereft of Krsna consciousness. So I am thinking of them." This man is mahatma. He is thinking of all living entities who are bereft of Krsna consciousness and making plan how to again take them to Krsna consciousness.

Because this is the cause of all unhappiness, they are suffering, and they are making plan. Maya-sukhaya. Maya-sukhaya means the happiness which has no standing, false, illusory. For this purpose, bharam udvahato vimudhan, big, big adventure, big, big things, they are contemplating, planning. That is called ghora, ghora-rupa. Here it is called ghora. Santa-ghora. If you go to some industrial place in a factory, iron factory like Tata's, you will see how they are engaged in ghora activities, horrible activities -- after all, you have to eat something -- but they have planned a ghora activity, very fierceful, ugra-karma. By nature's way, Krsna has given us everything. You can simply work little. You get food grains. Krsna says like that. Krsna never says that "You open big, big fierceful, horrible industries." You will never find in Bhagavad-gita. For your livelihood, Krsna says very simple method. Annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Annad. Anna, you produce anna. Why you are planning big, big industries? The oil will come from America through the channel, and the Arabia will refuse to supply oil. There will be power problem, so many things, one after another, one after another. But Krsna does not say that do all these things, ghora. No. He says, annad bhavanti bhutani: "You just produce food grain." And bhavanti bhutani. Bhutani means all living entities, they will be stout and strong by eating. What you want more? Annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And if there is sufficient rain, then automatically, then it will be very easy to grow food grains. Parjanyad anna... If there is no parjanya, rain, then your so-called tractor will not help you, or knowledge, agricultural knowledge, will not help you. You will have to depend on Krsna for rains. Parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. If you perform yajna, then there will be regular rainfalls.

In the Kali-yuga there is no yajna. Therefore there is anavrsti, anavrsti. The Kali-yuga people will forget performing yajna. They will be busy in ghora-rupa activities, horrible and fierceful activities, not yajna. They will neglect yajna. So then how your these bolts and nuts and rubber tires will help you? Therefore there is scarcity of anna. That will increase more and more. It will so increase that now you are getting anna by paying high price, but time will come when even if you are prepared to pay price, there will be no more anna. That time is coming. Naturally, what people will eat? They will eat mamsa and roots and seeds. No milk. No sugar. No wheat. These things will be stopped. As we are becoming entangled in ghora-rupa activities or mudha activities, then the more we shall be entangled with sufferings of material existence. They do not know what is the actually interest. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31].

So therefore this planning, real planning, is this varnasrama-dharma. Varnasrama means a regulative, regulative life. So we have come to this world. There will be no difficulty for our maintenance. Peacefully let us live and save time for spiritual consciousness, for advancement of. Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. We have to rectify, purify our existence. This present existence is not purified. Otherwise, why we are accepting death? Because the existence is not purified. But we don't care for it. We are so dull, mudha. Mudhatvam. Mudhatvam. There are so many big, big scholars of Bhagavad-gita, but they do not know the first lessons of Bhagavad-gita, first lessons of Bhagavad-gita. First lesson of Bhagavad-gita is there. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire. Who is thinking of this, that na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], if after the destruction of this body, I am not annihilated -- that is a fact -- but who is making research about it? And still, they are big, big scholars of Bhagavad-gita, and they do not know even the ABCD of Bhagavad-gita.

This is the first lesson of Bhagavad-gita:

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
 [Bg. 2.13]

Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit, na hanyate hanya... They do... These things do not strike even their dull brain, that "If atma... I am atma. I am the soul. I do not die even after the annihilation of this body. But that means I will have to accept another body. But is this very good job? Why not seek after our original position, when there is no more change of body?" This question does not arise even. But it is very easy. For that reason, Bhagavad-gita is there. Everyone can avoid this birth and death. That is the business of human life, how to stop... Jara-marana-moksaya. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah [Bg. 2.56]. Everything is there. This is the aim of life. But not... We are under this false ego, "I am this body." And some of us in the modes of goodness... That is also another kind of bondage: "I am brahmana. I am very learned scholar." But... That's all right, but still you have to go further, above the brahminical stage, not simply become proud of having nice birth, full of knowledge and learning. That is not sufficient. The learning should be perfect. What is that perfect learning? That vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. If you are actually learned, if you are proud of becoming vedanti or knowledge in Vedanta, then you must be aware of Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. Otherwise srama eva hi kevalam.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
 [SB 1.2.8]

Either you become santa or ghora or mudha, three kinds of position in this material world... santa. Santa means in the brahminical qualification, and ghora means activities, material activities, fruitive activities, and mudha, just like animal, neither santa nor ghora, simply animal. Udaram bharitah. Svartham udaram bharitah. Svartham, interest, means if one somehow or other fulfills his belly, then he thinks, "Now all my mission is fulfilled." This is called mudhatvam. Svartham udaram bharitah. Daksyam kutumba-bharanam. Generally in this age, people will be interested to fulfill his own belly. Because that is also very difficult task nowadays. To get sufficient food daily, that is also a problem. And if one can maintain his family in these hard days -- family means husband, wife, and a few children -- then daksyam kutumba-bharanam, then he is just like Maharaja Daksa. Daksa, daksa means very expert. Those who are maintaining big family, working very nicely, many business, they are called daksa. So in the Kali-yuga, if one can maintain a family, small family, then he will be considered daksa. Daksyam kutumba-bharanam. Otherwise, if one can fulfill his belly only, his all interest is fulfilled. This will be the condition of this age. That means mudhatvam, mostly mudhatvam. They do not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31].

So this is the position, mudhatvam, at least in this age. Rajas tamas. Mudhatvam, some of them are busy in ghora activities, and some of them are mudhas. Generally, they are mudhas. The so-called active persons, they are also mudhas. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. Na mam prapadyante mudhah duskrtino naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. So unless you come to Krsna consciousness, unless you become a pure devotee of Krsna, then our life is unsuccessful. It has begun since we have come to this material world. Under different influence, we have come to this condition of santa, ghora, mudha. But we have to become above this condition -- even above this santa condition. This conception that "I have become now brahminically qualified. I have got knowledge. I can see things," jnanam vijnanam astikyam, that is not sufficient. You have to stop your birth and death. This process you have to stop. Then your life is successful.

And that can be easily done if you become Krsna conscious. Bhaja vasudevam. You have to become devotee of Vasudeva. Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah [SB 1.2.7]. You have to take the shelter of bhakti-yoga, Vasudeva. Then your life will be successful. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma [Bg. 7.19]. You have to become sudurlabhah mahatma, not cheap mahatma. A cheap mahatma will not help you. You have to become real mahatma. What is real mahatma? Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [Bg. 9.13]. That is mahatma.

Thank you very much. (end)

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter from Amsterdam dated June 21, 1972.

I look forward with pleasure to attending some of your meetings there in Holland near end of July. Yes, the two engagements for July 28 and July 29 sound all right, and as you have kindly invited me, if you make all nice arrangements, then I shall be very glad to attend them.

One thing, you have mentioned a band for playing in the park.* If we hold public meetings, we can only hold kirtan, with our usual program of preaching being the main feature of attention. We shall stick only to the Vaisnava standard set for us by the great acaryas and saintly persons, namely, the Hare Krishna Mantra and other mantras which I have taught to you, but we shall not produce something artificial by writing and playing our own songs as we like.

Also, as you have requested, I shall be very much pleased to install Lord Jagannatha in the temple on the Sunday, 30th July, before continuing onwards.

Hoping this will meet you in good health,

Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

The saintly king Yudhisthira maharaj said, “Oh Supreme Lord, I have heard from You the glories of fasting on Deva-sayani EkAdasii, which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of AshADha. Now I would like to hear from You the glories of the EkAdasii that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the month of ShrAvaNa (July –August). Oh Govindadeva, please be merciful to me and explain its glories. Oh Supreme VAsudeva, I offer my most humble obeisances unto You.”

The Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna, replied, “Oh King, please listen attentively as I describe the auspicious influence of this Holy fast (vrata) day, which removes all sins. Narada Muni once asked Lord BrahmA about this same topic. ‘Oh regent of all beings,’ said NAradji, ‘Oh you who sit upon a water born lotus throne, please tell me the names of the EkAdasii that occurs during the dark fortnight of the sacred month of ShrAvaNa. Please also tell me which Deity is to be worshipped on that Holy day, the process one must follow to observe it, and the merit it awards.’

“Lord BrahmA replied, ‘My dear son Narada, for the benefit of all humanity I shall happily tell you everything you wish to know, for just hearing the glories of the KAmikA EkAdasii bestows merit equal to that obtained by one who performs a horse sacrifice. Certainly, great merit is attained by one who worships, and who also meditates on the lotus feet of the four-armed Lord GadAdhara, who holds conchshell, disc, club and lotus in His hands and who is also known as Shridhara, Hari, Vishnu, Madhava, and MadhusUdana. And the blessings achieved by such a person / devotee, who worships Lord Vishnu exclusively are far greater than those achieved by one who takes a sacred bath in the Ganges at KAshi (VarANasii), in the forest of NaimishAraNya, or at Pushkara, which is the only place on the planet where I am formally worshipped. But one who observes this KAmikA EkAdasii and also worships Lord Shri Krishna achieves greater merit than one who has darshana of Lord KedAranAtha in the HimAlayas, or one who bathes at Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse, or one who donates the whole Earth in charity, including its forests and oceans, or one who bathes in the GaNDaki River (where the sacred Shaligrams are found) or the GodAvari River on a full moon (purnima) day that falls on a Monday when Leo (Simha) and Jupiter (Guru) are conjoined (conjunct).

“ ’Observing KAmikA EkAdasii bestows the same merit as donating a milk-cow and her auspicious calf, along with their feed. On this all auspicious day, whosoever worships Lord Sri Shridhara-deva, Vishnu, is glorified by all the devas, Gandharvas, Pannagas, and NAgas.

“ ‘Those who are afraid of their past sins and completely immersed in sinful materialistic life should at least observe this best of EkAdasiis according to their ability and thus attain liberation. This EkAdasii is the purest of all days and the most powerful for removing sins of the native. Oh Narada ji, Lord Shri Hari Himself once said about this EkAdasii, “One who fasts on KAmikA EkAdasii attains much more merit than one who studies all the spiritual literatures.”

“ ‘Anyone who fasts on this particular day remains awake throughout the night will never experience the anger of YamarAja, the king of death personified. It has been seen that whoever observes KAmikA EkAdasii will not have to suffer future births, and in the past too, many Yogis of devotion who fasted on this day went to the spiritual world. One should therefore follow in their auspicious footsteps and strictly observe a fast on this most auspicious of EkAdasiis.

“ ‘Whosoever worships Lord Shri Hari with Tulasi leaves is freed from all implication of sin. Indeed, he lives untouched by sin, as the lotus leaf, although in the water, is untouched by it. Whosoever offers Lord Shri Hari but a single leaf from the sacred Tulasi tree (occillium basilcum sanctum) attains as much merit as one who gives away in charity two hundred grams of gold and eight hundred grams of silver. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is more pleased by one who offers Him a single Tulasi leaf than by one who worships Him with pearls, rubies, topaz, diamonds, lapis lazuli, sapphires, gomedA stones (gomaz), cat’s eye gems, and coral. One who offers Lord Keshava newly grown maNjari buds from the Tulasi plant gets rid of all the sins he has committed during this or any other lifetime. Indeed, mere darshana of Tulasi on KAmikA EkAdasii removes all sins, and merely touching her and praying to her removes all kinds of disease. One who waters Tulasi devi need never fear the Lord of death, YamarAja. One who plants or transplants Tulasi on this days will eventually reside with Lord Shri Krishna in His own abode. To Srimati Tulasi devi, who awards liberation in devotional service, one should therefore daily offer one’s full obeisances.

“ ‘Even Chitragupta, YamarAja’s secretary, cannot calculate the merit obtained by one who offers Shrimati Tulasi-devi a perpetually burning ghee lamp. So dear is this sacred EkAdasii to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that all the forefathers of one who offers a bright ghee lamp to Lord Shri Krishna on this day ascend to the heavenly planets and drink the celestial nectar there. Whoever offers a ghee or sesame oil lamp to Shri Krishna on this day is freed from all his sins and enters the abode of Surya, the Sun-god, with a body as bright as ten million lamps. This EkAdasii is so powerful that if one who is unable to fast simply follows the practices as mentioned herein, s/he is elevated to the heavenly planets, along with all their forefathers.

“ ‘Oh Maharaj Yudhisthira,” Lord Shri Krishna concluded,  “…these were the words of prajapathi BrahmA to his son Narada Muni concerning the incalculable glories of this KAmikA EkAdasii, which removes all sins. This sacred day nullifies even the sin of killing a brAhmaNa or the sin of killing an unborn child in the womb, and it promotes one to the spiritual world by making one supremely meritorious.
One who kills the innocent, i.e., a brahmin (brAhmaNa), a child in the womb, a pious and spotless woman, etc., and then later hears about the glories of KAmikA EkAdasii will be relieved of the reaction to one’s sins. However, one should NOT think beforehand that one can kill a Brahmin or other innocent folk and then go unpunished simply by hearing of this EkAdasii. Such knowing commission of sin is an abomination.

Whosoever hears these glories of the KAmikA EkAdasii with faith becomes free of all sins and returns home, back to Godhead – Vishnu-loka, Vaikuntha.

Shri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the EkAdasii that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana (July-August).”  The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, “Yes, Oh king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this sacred EkAdasii one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice.

“At the dawn of DvArpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Mahismati-puri.  Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him.  A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next.

The Sanskrit word for ‘son’ is putra.  Pu is the name of a particular hell, and tra means ‘to deliver.’  Thus the word putra means ‘a person who delivers one from the hell named Pu.’  Therefore every married man should produce at least one son and train him properly; then the father will be delivered from a hellish condition of life.  But this injunction does not apply to the serious devotees of Lord Vishnu or Krishna, for the Lord becomes their son, father, and mother.

Furthermore, ChANakya Pandita says,

satyam mata pita jnanam
          dharmo bhrata daya sakha
santih patni ksama putrah
        sadete mama vandhavah

For a long time this king tried very hard to obtain an heir, but to no avail.  Seeing his years advancing ever onwards, King Mahijita became increasingly anxious.  One day he told an assembly of his advisers:  ‘I have committed no sin in this life, and there is no ill-gotten wealth in my treasury.  I have never usurped the offerings to the demigods or brahmanas.  When I waged war and conquered kingdoms, I followed the rules and regulations of the military art, and I have protected my subjects as if they were my own children.  I punished even my own relatives if they broke the law, and if my enemy was gentle and religious I welcomed him.  Oh twice-born souls, although I am a religious and faithful follower of the Vedik standards, still my home is without a son.  Kindly tell me the reason for this.’

“Hearing this, the king’s brahmana advisers discussed the subject among themselves, and with the aim of benefiting the king they visited the various ashrams of the great sages.  At last they came upon a sage who was austere, pure, and self-satisfied, and who was strictly observing a vow of fasting.  His senses were completely under control, he had conquered his anger, and he was expert at performing his occupational duty.  Indeed, this great sage was expert in all the conclusions of the Vedas, and he had extended his life span to that of Lord Brahma himself.  His name was Lomasa Rishi, and he knew part, present, and future.  After each kalpa passed, one hair would fall out of his body ( One kalpa, or twelve hours of Lord Brahma, equals 4,320,000,000 years.) All the king’s brahmana advisers very happily approached him one by one to offer their humble respects.

“Captivated by this great soul, King Mahijita’s advisers offered obeisances to him and said very respectfully, ‘Only because of our great good fortune, Oh sage, have we been allowed to see you.’
“Lomasa Rishi saw them bowing down to him and replied, ‘Kindly let me know why you have come here.  Why are you praising me?  I must do all I can to solve your problems, for sages like me have only one interest: to help others.  Do not doubt this.’

Lomasa Rishi had all good qualities because he was a devotee of the Lord.  As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (5:18:12),

yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akinchana
    sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
    manorathenasati dhavato bahih

“The king’s representatives said, ‘We have come to you, Oh exalted sage, to ask for your help in solving a very serious problem.  Oh sage, you are like Lord Brahma.  Indeed, there is no better sage in the entire world.  Our king, Mahijita, is without a son, though he has sustained and protected us as if we were his sons. Seeing him so unhappy on account of being sonless, we have become very sad, Oh sage, and therefore we have entered the forest to perform severe austerities.  By our good fortune we happened upon you.  Everyone’s desires and activities become successful just by your darshana.  Thus we humble ask that you tell us how our kind king can obtain a son.’

“Hearing their sincere plea, Lomasa Rishi absorbed himself in deep meditation for a moment and at once understood the king’s previous life.  Then he said, ‘Your ruler was a merchant in his past life, and feeling his wealth insufficient, he committed sinful deeds.  He traveled to many villages to trade his goods.  Once, at noon on the day after the EkAdasii that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (Trivikrama – May-June), he became thirsty while traveling from place to place.  He came upon a beautiful pond on the outskirts of a village, but just as he was about to drink at the pond a cow arrived there with her new-born calf.  These two creatures were also very thirsty because of the heat, but when the cow and calf started to drink, the merchant rudely shoved them aside and selfishly slaked his own thirst.  This offense against a cow and her calf has resulted in your king’s being without a son now.  But the good deeds he performed in his previous life have given him rulership over an undisturbed kingdom.’

“Hearing this, the king’s advisers replied, ‘Oh renowned rishi, we have heard that the Vedas say one can nullify the effects of one’s past sins by acquiring merit.  Be so kind as to give us some instruction by which our king’s sins can be destroyed; please give him your mercy so that a prince will take birth in his family.’

“Lomasa Rishi said, ‘There is an EkAdasii called PutradA, which comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana.  On this day all of you, including your king, should fast and stay awake all night, strictly following the rules and regulations.  Then you should give the king whatever merit you gain by this fast.  If you follow these instructions of mine, he will surely be blessed with a fine son.’

“All the king’s advisers became very pleased to hear these words from Lomasa Rishi, and they all offered him their grateful obeisances.  Then, their eyes bright with happiness, they returned home.

“When the month of Shravana arrived, the king’s advisers remembered the advice of Lomasa Rishi, and under their direction all the citizens of Mahismati-puri, as well as the king, fasted on EkAdasii.  And on the next day, DvAdasi, the citizens dutifully offered their accrued merit to him.  By the strength of all this merit, the queen became pregnant and eventually gave birth to a most beautiful son.

“O Yudhisthira,” Lord Krishna concluded, “the EkAdasii that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana has thus rightfully become famous as PutradA [“bestower of a son”].  Whoever desires happiness in this world and the next should certainly fast from all grains and legumes on this holy day.  Indeed, whoever simply hears the glories of PutradA EkAdasii becomes completely free of all sins, is blessed with a good son, and surely ascends to heaven after death.”

Pavitropana Dwadasi

Pavitropanam the ritual

Yajur Veda Upakarmas are done on Balaram Jayanti Purnima

ITY ASASYA PRABHOR AGRE GRAHANIYAN NIYAMAM VRATI
CATURMASESU KARTAVYAM KRSNA BHAKTI VIVRDDHAYE

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 15/113 from NAVA-PRASNA PANCARATRA)

 After properly praying to the Supreme Lord near Him, one should properly take a vow to follow the proper rules and regulations and process of Caturmasya to increase one's devotion to Lord Sri Krsna.

EKA DASYANTU GRAHANIYAT SANKRANTAU KARKATASYA TU
ASADHYAM VA NARO BHAKTYA CATUR-MASYO DITAM VRATAM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 15/114, Sanat Kumara speaks)

 In the month of Asadha, either on the Ekadasi when the Lord sleeps or in Cancer Sankranti day or a full moon day, it is the duty of a fasting person to take a vow to fast in Caturmasya with devotion, in front of the Lord.

YO VINA NIYAMAM MARTYO VRATAM VA JAPYAM EVA VA
CATURMASYAM NAYEN MURKHO JIVANN API MRTO HI SAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 15/116 from BHAVISYA PURANA)

 Any person in this material world who performs Caturmasya without following any rules and regulations, or fasts, or without chanting any japa, such a foolish person is considered to be dead, even though alive.

SRAVANE VARJAYET SAKAM DADHI BHADRA PADE TATHA
DUGDHAM ASVAYUJE MASI KARTIKE CA AMISAM TYAJET

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 15/117 from SKANDA PURANA, NAGARA KHANDA)

 (While following Caturmasya) one should give up eating leafy vegetables in the month of Sravana (July-August). In the month of Bhadrapada (August-September), one should give up yogurt. In the month of Asvina (September-October) one should give up milk and in the month of Karttika (October-November), one should give up eating white dahl.

Bhavisya Purana-  "One who passes the Chaturmasya season without observing religious vows, austerities and chanting of japa, such a fool although living should be considered to be a dead man."
Kanda Purana, Nagava Khunda-  "In the month of shravana (July, August) one should refrain from eating spinach.  In the month of Bhadra (August, September) of yogert in Ashvina (September, October) milk. In Kartik (October, November) meat and urd dall.
Various vows and austerities during Chaturmasya and Their respective results.
"O King, one who is My devotee and is fixed in vow, whether man or woman, for the purpose of Dharma, should accept these various austerities and observances. I shall now describe to you all of them along with their respective results.
1) No salt—One's voice becomes sweet.
2) No oil—One's life is prolonged and gets progeny.
3) No oil massages—One's body becomes beautiful.
4) No cooking with oil—One's enemies are vanished.
5) No licorice and oil—One becomes wealthy.
6) Give up wearing unoffered flowers—One becomes a Vidyadhara in Devapura.
7) Give up six kinds of tastes (spice, sour, bitter, sweet, salty and harsh)—One never becomes ugly, smelly, or obtains a bad birth.
8) Practice of yoga—One goes to Brahmaloka.
9) No betal nuts—One becomes happy.
10) No cooked food (raw fruits & Vegetables)—One obtains purity.
11) No honey—One becomes lustrous.
12) No yogert or milk—One attains Goloka.
13) No cooking with earthen pots—One gets ... (?)
14) No hot food—One gets offspring with a long life.
15) Take rest on the ground or on stone—One becomes an associate of Vishnu.
16) One who gives up meat & honey is a yogi and muni.
17) No intoxicating liquors—One becomes powerful and free from disease.
18) Fast for one day—One is honored in Brahmaloka.
19) No cutting of hair and nails—One gets the benefit of taking bath daily in Ganges.
20) No speaking of grama katha (nonsense)—One's order will never be disobeyed.
21) Eat food on the ground without dish or plate—One obtains a kingdom on Earth.
22) Chant the mantra Namo Narayana—One obtains the result of giving in charity 100 times.
23) Offer prayers to the Lord—One gets the result of giving cows in charity.
24) Touch the lotus feet of the Deity—One becomes a successful person.
25) Clean the temple of the Lord—If one is king he remains so for a Kalpa.
26) Circumambulating the temple three times offering prayers—At the time of death one will mount a swan airplane and go to Vaikuntha.
27) Singing or playing musical instruments in the temple of the Lord—One goes to Gardharvaloka.
28) Take pleasure in studying the sastras—One goes to Vishnuloka.
29) Sprinkle water in the temple—One goes to apsaraloka.
30) Take bath in a holy place—One's body becomes pure.
31) Worship Lord Vishnu with flowers—One goes to Vaikuntha.
32) Eat panchagavya—One gets the result of observing candrayana fasting.
33) Eat one meal a day—One gets the results of performing an Agnihotra.
34) Eat at night only—One gets the result of going to all the places of pilgrimage.
35) Eat at noon only—One attains Devaloka.
36) Take food not obtained by begging or any extraneous endeavor—One gets the results of opening water stands and digging wells.
37) Take bath daily—One will never see hell.
38) No eating on a plate—One gets the result of bathing at Pushkara
39) Eat on a leaf—One obtains the result of living at Kurukshetra.
40) Eat on a stone—One obtains the result of bathing at Prayog.
41) Giving up drinking to six hours—One will not be attacked by diseases.
42) During the Chaturmasya, garlands, caranamrta, candana and water from the conshell of the Lord, mahaprasädam, Deity garlands must be accepted.

In this way one who performs this vrata for the satisfaction of Lord Kesava becomes satisfied himself. O best of the Pandavas, among My devotees, he who accepts these vows and austerities during the Chaturmasya goes to my abode at the time of death, of this there is no doubt.

Vishnu Rahasya-  Lord Brahma to Narada Muni.