Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:   Chapter 7 - Knowledge of the Absolute

TEXT 9
 
                       punyo gandhah prthivyam ca
                         tejas casmi vibhavasau
                          jivanam sarva-bhutesu
                          tapas casmi tapasvisu
 
 
WORD FOR WORD
 
   punyah--original; gandhah--fragrance; prthivyam--in the earth; ca--also; tejah--heat; ca--also; asmi--I am; vibhavasau--in the fire; jivanam--life; sarva--in all; bhutesu--living entities; tapah--penance; ca--also; asmi--I am; tapasvisu--in those who practice penance.
 
TRANSLATION
 
   I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.
 
PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
 
   Punya means that which is not decomposed; punya is original. Everything in the material world has a certain flavor or fragrance, as the flavor and fragrance in a flower, or in the earth, in water, in fire, in air, etc. The uncontaminated flavor, the original flavor, which permeates everything, is Krsna. Similarly, everything has a particular original taste, and this taste can be changed by the mixture of chemicals. So everything original has some smell, some fragrance, and some taste. Vibhavasu means fire. Without fire we cannot run factories, we cannot cook, etc., and that fire is Krsna. The heat in the fire is Krsna. According to Vedic medicine, indigestion is due to a low temperature in the belly. So even for digestion fire is needed. In Krsna consciousness we become aware that earth, water, fire, air and every active principle, all chemicals and all material elements are due to Krsna. The duration of man's life is also due to Krsna. Therefore by the grace of  Krsna, man can prolong his life or diminish it. So Krsna consciousness is active in every sphere.

- 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...)

All ashrams are needed

Srila Prabhupada returned by 7:30 a.m. and entered the ground floor of the house for a short morning program. The downstairs consists mainly of a hallway, guest bedroom, pantry, kitchen, a large living room with an adjoining dining area. The devotees have put Srila Prabhupada's vyasasana, which is usually kept upstairs, in the dining room and a simple Pancatattva altar faces it from the opposite end of the living room. The yatra here may be small but is certainly not poor. The floor coverings in the living room are Persian Kashan carpets of navy blue and red floral design worth about $12,000 each.

Srila Prabhupada mounted his vyasasana -- a converted armchair covered with an orange brocade sari -- to receive guru-puja from the enthusiastic devotees. Then at the end of the kirtana we all sat on the opulent rugs eager to hear his lecture.

It turned out to be very short, hardly one minute, on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.22.19. Prabhupada had Pradyumna prabhu read out the Sanskrit verse, the word-for-word transliterations, and translation. It described Kardama Muni's desire to marry, have a child, and then retire from family life. Pradyumna read the purport, which was exceptionally interesting: "According to Vedic principles, the first part of life should be utilized in brahmacarya for the development of character and spiritual qualities. In the next part of life, one may accept a wife and beget children, but one should not beget children like cats and dogs.

"Kardama Muni desired to beget a child who would be a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should beget a child who can perform the duties of Visnu, otherwise there is no need to produce children. There are two kinds of children born of good fathers: one is educated in Krsna consciousness so that he can be delivered from the clutches of maya in that very life, and the other is a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and teaches the world the ultimate goal of life. As will be described in later chapters, Kardama Muni begot such a child-Kapila, the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead who enunciated the philosophy of Sankhya. Great householders pray to God to send His representative so that there may be an auspicious movement in human society. This is one reason to beget a child. Another reason is that a highly enlightened parent can train a child in Krsna consciousness so that the child will not have to come back again to this miserable world....

"In the same order as Kardama Muni, about 100 years ago, Thakura Bhaktivinoda also wanted to beget a child who could preach the philosophy and teachings of Lord Caitanya to the fullest extent. By his prayers to the Lord he had as his child Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, who at the present moment is preaching the philosophy of Lord Caitanya throughout the entire world through his bona fide disciples."

Srila Prabhupada's few added comments were highly relevant to this small community of householders. "So householder life is not condemned; it is required. If there is no householders, then wherefrom the saintly persons will come? They will not drop from the sky. So everything is required. In our society, we have got householders, we have got brahmacaris, we have got sannyasis. So Krsna consciousness movement is a very scientific movement for the total benefit of human society. If it is properly carried out, then everyone will be satisfied and happy and go back home, back to Godhead. Thank you."

- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu

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"'Classless' Means Fools--Rascals--Sudras"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.17
Vrndavana, November 5, 1976

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Pradyumna: "If someone is ignorant and addicted to the path of samsara, how can one who is actually learned, merciful and advanced in spiritual knowledge engage him in fruitive activity and thus further entangle him in material existence? If a blind man is walking down the wrong path, how can a gentleman allow him to continue on his way to danger? How can he approve this method? No wise or kind man can allow this."

Prabhupada:

kas tam svayam tad-abhijno vipascid
avidyayam antare vartamanam
drstva punas tam saghrnah kubuddhim
prayojayed utpathagam yathandham
 [SB 5.5.17]

So one person is utpathagam yathandham, another person is vipascid tad-abhijnah. Two classes of men generally: one who knows the things as they are and one who does not know what is the value of life, how to make progress. So one does not know and one knows. So naturally there must be two classes of men to make real social progress or any, anything. Actually we see that there are a class of men in the school, colleges, universities, who can teach, and class of men who are taught. So without these two classes of men, how society can make progress? But the modern theory is "classless society." Modern rascal theory is classless society: "There is no need of teacher, or there is no need of higher class, or there is no need of... One class." Therefore they fall down. Even in socialistic country like Russia, first of all they wanted to make classless society. Later on they have made a manager class and worker class, because this is not possible.

If you want to manage things, there must be two classes of men, and two classes can be divided into so many other classes. Therefore the intelligent way of civilization is described in the Bhagavad-gita, catur-varnyam maya-srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. There must be four classes. In order to manage things very nicely, you cannot make classless society. Four classes. The most intelligent class, brahmana, and then next intelligent, the ksatriyas, and the next intelligent, the vaisyas, and the last one, who has no intelligence, sudra. These four classes must be there. Without this division of classes, society, who will guide them? At the present moment, without any class the government has made adult vote. Anyone who is above certain age, say eighteen years or twenty years, he can vote. But there is no class, that "This class can vote; this class cannot vote." There is no such thing. Anyone who is above eighteen years old, he is competent to cast his vote. And people are not educated in this division, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. They are all classless.

Classless means fools, rascals, sudra. If you classify... Classify means "Here is intelligent class, here is next class, here is next." If you don't classify, that means sudras. So sudras, they have got votes. Similarly, what they will elect? They will elect another rascal, that's all. Big rascal. A small rascal and big rascal, that's all. Therefore in the Bhagavata it is said, sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh [SB 2.3.19]. Here is our president. Here is our prime minister. But what is he? He is elected by the sudras, so he is a big sudra, that's all. How you can expect nice things? If you say, "Now he is elected President, he is so much honored and he's exalted post, His Excellency," so Bhagavata says, "Yes. This is all good, but by whom he is praised?" Sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh. Just like lion. Lion is very strong animal. He is considered to be the king of the forest. So all other small animals, they are very much afraid of, very respectful. But does it mean because he is lion he is not an animal? He is animal. He may be lion, very powerful, very strong, he can subdue others. But that does not mean he is any advanced intelligent person like brahmana or ksatriya. This is going on. The Bhagavata therefore says, sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih samstutah purusah pasuh. The next line I just forget.

So anyone, if he is not Krsna conscious, he is a pasuh, animal. Because human life is meant for that purpose. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattva [SB 5.5.1]. Otherwise he is animal. So this is going on at the present moment, that some small animal accepting one big animal as leader. So both of them, all of them, are animals. But this is not social system. The social system, as Krsna says, catur-varnyam maya srstam... [Bg. 4.13]. You cannot violate the laws given by Krsna, God. You must have. You must make, train. Just like you are training some men as engineer, some men as medical men, some men as lawyer, some men as technologist. There are so many divisions in the society. Therefore, similarly, if you want to make the human society perfect, then you must have these four classes of men: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra. Otherwise there is no possibility. If you make all classes one, very liberal -- "Very good idea. There is no classification" -- no, there must be classifi... But that classification is not by birth. That is not by birth. Guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Krsna never said, "This classification should be by birth." No. Janmana jayate sudrah. By birth everyone is rascal, sudra. That is to be accepted. Even if one is born in a brahmana family, he is to be accepted as sudra, janmana, by birth. Otherwise why, even a person is born in a brahmana family, he requires to be educated, he requires to be initiated, sacred thread? Samskarad bhaved dvijah. There must be samskara. If he is born brahmana, then where..., there is no need of samskara. There is no need of education. Suppose a person is born the son of high-court judge. Does it mean that he is high-court judge? No. He requires education, he requires training. But he has a good chance to become a high-court judge. Because his father is high-court judge, he knows how to train his sons, how to educate him how to become a lawyer, and he has got influence in government society. He can recommend him. He has got the chance to become a high-court judge. But not that because he is born of a father who is high-court judge, therefore he is high-court judge. That is going on.

A person born in brahmana family, if that family is strictly following the brahminical rules and regulation, in the sastra it is said that in higher section, brahmana specially, if garbhdhna samskara is not observed the whole family immediately becomes sudra. They cannot be called even brahmana family. That is the injunction of sastra. Samskarad bhaved dvijah. Dasa-vidha-samskara. That must be strictly observed; otherwise he is sudra. Sudra has no samskara. Sudra has only one samskara -- marriage. And the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, they have got dasa-vidha-samskara. Before birth, when the child is in the womb, there is ceremony. Then when he is born there is ceremony. Then he's little more, little more... Just like Pariksit Maharaja, when he was born, immediately all the brahmanas came. Jata-karma ceremony. A child is born. There will be some puja, patha, and then there will be horoscope made immediately, in what moment this child is born, what will be his feature. All the brahmanas made immediately horoscope. You'll find in this Bhagavata. This is called samskara. Not that like cats and dogs they are born without any samskara, and because he is born in a certain family he becomes brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya. No.

So there must be a first-class man in the society. Samo damo titiksa. Where is that educational institution at the present moment that "Here is a school where education is given how to become a brahmana"? This is Kali-yuga. Nobody will go there. Nobody will go there. If you start a school... I was thinking that now... Just like we are starting this gurukula to train small children how to become brahmacari. Brahmacari gurukule vasan danto guror hitam. But I am very doubtful whether people will send their children here. Because before starting this movement I wanted some boys from respectable family, that "Give me your one son. I shall train him how to become brahmana, how to become preacher." Nobody gave me. They said, "Swamiji, what they will be by becom..." Because they have seen the so-called brahmana begging, no education, and if there is no begging, then stealing, then cheating. So a gentleman sees that "This is brahmana in the society." You will find in Vrndavana so-called brahmana, pandita, pandas -- no education, and they do everything. It is known to everyone. So because there is no training... Pandas, they were guiding the tourists or the visitors. They were trained up brahmana, panditas. Now practically higher section of the society, they do not come. One gentleman asked me in Delhi in the beginning that "Swamiji, why you have made Vrndavana as your headquarters?" Because they have got a very bad experience. So even the Vrndavana city, you see how they are neglected. We are a little far off from the city. You go. How they are neglected city, no up-to-date gentlemen can go there because the culture is lost. And from big, big Gosvamis' family they are becoming rogues and thieves because training is not there, training, the first-class man to train them.

So therefore it is our little attempt that to train some boys to become first-class character. Samo damo titiksa. That is required in the society. Simply all fourth-class, fifth-class men, how the society will improve? That is not possible. And therefore, kas tam svayam tad-abhijno vipascid avidyayam antare vartamanam. And one who is actually educated in the Vedic knowledge, how he can say that "You are all right"? He cannot say. He gives chance for being trained to be free from the avidya. Avidyayam antare. Sarira avidya-jal. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, sarira avidya-jal. This material body is a network of avidya, ignorance. Sarira avidya-jal, jadendriya tahe kal. On account of this body of avidya, ignorance, the blunt senses are simply... They have been described sometimes as kala-sarpa. Kala-sarpa indriya-patali durdanta-indriya-kala-sarpa patali. So therefore yoga system is recommended to control this kala-sarpa, the indriyas. Yoga indriya-samyamah. Real yoga, ordinary yoga Nobody is getting that yoga-siddhi, asta-siddhi. Generally the so-called yogis, they show some asana, dhyana, dharana, pranayama, but that is meant for controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamah. Without sense control nobody can make any progress in human life. Tapasya. That is called tapasya. The yoga is also another tapasya. Tapo. Tapasa brahmacaryena [SB 6.1.13].

So any path you take, the brahmacarya first thing. Without brahmacarya there is no question of tapasya.

tapasa brahmacaryena
samena damena va
tyagena satya-saucabhyam
yamena niyamena va
 [SB 6.1.13]

This is human life. This is human life, not that upstart, foolish, rascals, sudras, that is human society. That is dog society. That is not human society. Human society must be intelligent class of men. They will train the other people. Everything is required. The ksatriya is required, the vaisya is required, the sudra is also required. Just like it is given in the sastra that to keep a fully equipped body there must be head, there must be arm, there must be belly, and there must be leg. Leg is also required, not that simply brain is required. Brain is required to direct the way: "Go this way; go that way." In that sense sudra is also... Brain cannot walk; the leg will walk. So the brain will give direction, the hand will give protection. Everything is required. Therefore we have named this "Krsna conscious society." "Society" means all classes of men required. But we train them how to make life perfect. That is wanted, not that one-sided, simply brahmana. That variety. This is called variety, not nirvisesa-vada, classless: "No brahmana required, no sudra required." No, everything is required. Everything is required, but they should be properly trained up.

So one class. First-class man, first of all teacher, they require. Therefore the brahmana class must be there, I mean to say, the properly trained-up brahmana, not by caste brahmana or... Samo damo titiksa... Otherwise where is the ideal class who will teach? And it is the business of brahmana to teach. Those who are sudras, avidyayam antare vartamana, how they can teach? They cannot teach. Therefore brahmana business is pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigrahah. Six. Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. Still, if he is not a Vaisnava, avaisnavo gurur na sa syat. If one is qualified brahmana but..., mantra-tantra-visaradah, everything is well equipped, but if he is not a Vaisnava, if he is impersonalist, Mayavadi, he cannot teach others. Avaisnavo gurur na sa syat. He cannot be guru. Sad-vaisnavah sva-paco guruh. And if a person born in a family of dog-eaters, sva-paca, means candala... There are many kinds of meat-eaters. So the class of men who are dog-eaters, they are the lowest. They are the lowest, candala. So if a person born in a dog-eaters' family, he can be also trained up. Sad-vaisnavah sva-paco guruh. So guru does not mean a rascal. A sva-paca, a person born in the family of sva-paca, he can be also trained up to become Vaisnava. That is also a claim by Krsna. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. This person who is born in the sva-paca family, candala family, he is called papa-yoni. Yoni means mother, and bija means father. Bija may be nice, but if the yoni is not nice, that is called varna-sankara. These are the things. Yatha bijam tatha yoni. Therefore they must be equally qualified. Anyway, so papa-yoni, born in the womb of a low-class yoni. But he can be trained. How? Mam hi partha vyapasritya. If he takes to Krsna consciousness, then he can be trained. There is no harm. Mam hi... Krsna says, mam hi partha vyapasritya [Bg. 9.32].

So if we take shelter of Krsna's lotus feet, then we can become first-class men. There is no doubt about it. Otherwise Krsna says, te 'pi yanti param gatim. So do you think param gatim is available for the third-class, fourth-class, last class men? No. Krsna says in another place. These things are to be studied very minutely. Yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam te dvandva-moha... Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. So one who has become Vaisnava, does it mean he is fool still? No. Training. Training is there. Otherwise how Krsna recommends, ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah te 'pi yanti param gatim? To become high-court judge, does it mean it is ordinary qualification? If you say that "That man has become high-court judge and the other man who has seen him before, that he is not born 'No, no. How you can become high-court judge? No, he is born of a very low-class family. No.' " "No, no, he has become a high-court..." "No, no. I don't believe." "No, I have seen it." This is possible. It is not that because one is born in low-class family he cannot become high-court judge or he cannot become a Vaisnava. Oh. He can be.

So Sanatana Gosvami recommends, tatha diksa-vidhanena dvijatvam jayate nrnam. Tatha diksa-vidhanena. If diksa-vidhana, initiation process, is done nicely from the right person There are so many sastric ref... Suddhyanti yad-apasrayasrayah, kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah, ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah suddhyanti [SB 2.4.18]. These things are there. So by the disciplic succession, by the instruction of the Gosvamis, everyone can be purified because they will properly train up. Avidyayam antare vartamanam. They will not misguide. Drstva punas tam saghrnah kubuddhim. Merciful: "Never mind." But there is no disqualification because one is low born and high born. Everyone can take. But he must follow the direction of the proper guide. Just like we say, "No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex." If he follows the rules and regulation and chants Hare Krsna under the guidance of proper spiritual master, then everything will be all right. He is no more sudra or candala. He will become... Candalo 'pi dvija-srestha hari-bhakti-parayanah. By advancing in Krsna consciousness he can be raised to the highest plat... So it is the duty of the guide not to engage him in lower class of occupation. Therefore there must be a class of men first-class who can teach the society how to advance in human civilization.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976

My other godbrothers they are concerned with litigations, politics, and  diplomacy, so what is the pracara? As far as I am concerned I have the  blessings of my guru maharaj. I do not need anything else. That is how I  went to your country, just to try to carry out his order. By his blessings  it has come out successful.

Letter to Subala 1974
 

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Quotes from Shastra - scriptures
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Jayananda dasa Thakur with his Spiritual Master Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

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Rememberences of Jayananda:

Memories of Jayananda Thakur:

Sriman Jayananda Thakur, Bhakti Exemplified:

The beautiful life of Jayananda Thakur more excerpts from book being edited:

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada about Jayananda:

Jayananda - The First ISKCON Saint:

More Nectar on Jayananda prabhu - see link to his Astrological chart:

Rathyatra pages:

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's pages:

 The background
 **************
 Jim Kohr was the all-American boy. Handsome, strong, intelligent born in an upper middle-class family. A good student, he took a degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University. However despite his outward trappings of success, he was often unhappy, empty and dissatisfied with the material conception of life. Jim did not fit into the upper class crowd, so it was not very surprising that he ended up driving cabs in San Francisco. Though an introspective person, he was not really religious. His depression was almost suicidal when in 1967 he happened to read a small article in the San Francisco paper about an Indian Swami who had come to the Bay area to propagate the chanting of the names of God. For some reason the article ignited a ray of hope within him. He resolved to attend the lecture of the Indian Swami.

 In the Bhagavad Gita (7.16), Krishna says, 'four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me -- the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.' Jim was searching for answers from the material miseries, and in such a mood took his first step towards his destiny.

 The beginnings
 **************
 Jim was instantly attracted to the Indian Swami, who was none other than Srila Prabhupada, the founder acarya of ISKCON. He had been in the U.S.A for only a year and was in the process of establishing his mission of bringing Krishna consciousness to the Western world. Jim began to regularly attend the morning Bhagvatam lectures of Srila Prabhupada. On some occasions Jim would be the only guest listening to the morning lecture. Soon he became very attached to Srila Prabhupada and his teachings. Prabhupada lovingly reciprocated and would sometimes personally cook prasadam for Jim and serve him. Soon thereafter Srila Prabhupada accepted Jim as his disciple and initiated him with the spiritual name Jayananda.

 In Cc Madhya 19.151 Caitnaya Mahaprabhu says that '. out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.' In this way Jayananda received the seed of devotion, out of the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada. From the instructions and teaching presented by Srila Prabhupada, he understood his special relationship with Krishna, with Guru, and that there is an authorized process to establish this relationship.

 Attraction to Krishna consciousness
 ***********************************
 Jayananda was completely enamored by Krishna consciousness. He would rise every day morning before four, do a little arati, chant his rounds of japa, read and cook prasad. Then he would go for his 'incense run' (selling incense sticks). He never deviated from this, he was completely happy as long as he was practicing Krishna consciousness.

 Jayananda worshipped prasadam. When a little prasadam spilled on the floor he would lick it up. He loved to cook, eat, offer and distribute prasadam in a big way. He even said 'prasadam' with so much love and devotion that it made one immediately want to take some.

 Another example of his attachment to Krishna consciousness was his love for the holy name. He was always seen chanting and dancing enthusiastically during kirtans. One day after working hard for ten hours straight, when all the other devotees were looking forward to some rest, Jayananda enthusiastically bounced into the temple room for kirtan. His japa was very intense, very focussed, as he strove to personally associate with each and every syllable of the mahamantra.

 In Bhakti-rasamrta sindhu, Srila Rupa Goswami mentions that the process of sadhna bhakti begins with a little faith (sraddha). This faith then blossoms into a desire for devotee association (sadhu-sanga) and then into bhajan-kriya (devotional service).

 Similarly, Jayananda, after receiving the association of Srila Prabhupada and other devotees at the temple began to execute devotional service as per the instructions he received from his spiritual master. As he executed his sadhna sincerely, he became purified of the material impediments to devotional service(anartha-nivrttih) and began to manifest the all-attractive qualities of a pure devotee.

 Humility
 ********
 Humility was certainly Jayananda's most prominent quality. He treated everyone as his superior, even new devotees. Although his service was glorious, he never wanted any glory. He avoided praise like the plague. Devotees got to know that if they wanted to keep Jayananda's association they would better not praise him. His humility was very natural and he always found something other than himself that was praiseworthy. Even though he was a senior devotee, older than most of the people around him and eminently qualified, he was happy to simply serve.

 Once a new boy at the temple wanted to do some service and was asked to help with the trash. The weekly trash run was done by Jayananda, who cheerfully took the little help the boy gave. Later when the boy became a devotee, he remembered thinking, 'If the garbage men at this temple can be so blissful, just imagine what the rest of the devotees are like!'

 Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the third verse of Siksastakam lays down the qualification for offenseless chanting. 'One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.' Jayananda exemplified this verse. He was so humble that just being in his association would make one feel ashamed of one's pride. He was very special, yet no one paid any special attention to him. That was just the way he liked things.

 Service attitude
 ****************
 Jayananda was an expert at everything: cooking, preaching, Deity worship, public relations, sankirtan, selling incense, construction, and anything that it took to spread Krishna consciousness. He was a tireless worker, first to rise in the morning and last to sleep at night. He was always running out to get flowers, washing dishes, cleaning the kitchen or taking out the trash. Whatever service he was given, he would make sure that it was done, no matter how busy he was or how much personal hardships he had to endure for it. No matter how hard he was working, he would never stop for a nap during the day. He seemed inexhaustible.

 Many times when Jayananda went to Berkley to distribute leftover prasadam, he would first organize a crew to clean the kitchen, working twice as hard as anybody else, then he would transfer the prasadam, load it into the van, drive it to Berkley, organize the distribution there and have kirtan while all this was going on. Many years later he readily accepted the position of the driver for the Radha Damodar travelling sankirtan party, working side by side with brahmacharis scarcely half his age. In spite of his advanced position and seniority he never asked for anything special and readily accepted menial position under new devotees.

 In the Vishnu purana, Sri Krishna informs Arjuna that 'one who claims to be My devotee is actually not My devotee. One who claims to be the devotee of my devotees is in actuality My devotee'. Jayananda completely manifested this quality. He was always striving to be the 'dasanudasa', the servant-of-the-servant. But there was no artificial humility in him. Material humility is relative, it is predicated on the qualifications of the recipients. Jayananda had spiritual humility, it was absolute, without any consideration of the status or qualities of the recipient. He served every one and expected no one to serve him.

 The process of remembering, discussing or enumerating the qualities and pastimes of the Lord and His devotees is very purifying. This week we continue the discussion of the qualities of Jayananda Prabhu, who in the relatively short time he was associated with Krishna consciousness, perfected his devotional service and left us many instructions by example.

 Freedom from fault finding
 **************************
 Perhaps the most defining characteristic of Jayananda was that he never criticized anyone. Even if a devotee did something that warranted criticism, he would usually not say anything, or else make the mistake appear as something perfectly natural. He never spoke harsh words or chastised anybody. Sometimes devotees would come to him with expansive ideas of how to spread Krishna consciousness. Jayananda would encourage these ideas, however extraordinary. At the same time he was not a fool. He could always pick up the right man for the job.

 In the Nectar of Instruction (Verse 5), Srila Rupa Goswami says, 'one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.' Jayananda could not even bear to hear the criticism of another devotee. If such a thing were happening he would simply leave the room. These are the characteristics of an uttama-adhikari, one who has reached the highest level of perfection in his sadhana bhakti.

 Dear to everyone
 ****************
 Like the six Goswamis, Jayananda was dear to both the gentle and the ruffians. He was as much at home with the Italians at the produce market as he was with the Brahmacharis at the temple. Once a devotee was approached by a staggering drunk in San Francisco, who looked at his robes and asked, 'Hey, where is my old friend Jayananda?'

 Many devotees who took over Jayananda's old territory would meet people who would say things like, 'Where is Johnny Ananda?' or 'That man - he's the nicest and most pure man I've met' or 'I don't know much about your philosophy, but if Jayananda is into it, it must be all right.'

 One woman public official on the San Francisco board was famous for giving the devotees a hard time during Ratha-yatra. One year when the devotees approached her, she asked, 'where is Jayananda?' On hearing that he had passed away she broke down and began to cry. The purity in Jayananda's heart would touch the even most cynical.

 In BG 5.7, Sri Krishna says that 'One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.' Every one loved Jayananda, since he had completely transcended the bodily conception. He would approach a drunk, a hippie or a devotee with the same compassion and enthusiasm. He spoke to the Supersoul in everyone, and everyone responded accordingly. Like Maharaja Yudhisthira, Jayananda's enemy was never born.

 Expert at engaging everyone
 ****************************
 It is said that though Krishna has nothing to do with non-devotees, His devotees are even more compassionate than Him and will try and engage them in the Lord's service. Jayananda was eager to see everyone engaged in Krishna's service. Whenever a new bhakta would come. Jayananda made him feel he was engaged in important work. He was older, bigger and stronger than just about anyone in the temple, and everyone was glad to be working under him.

 His preaching style was very simple and direct. He would speak from the heart to the heart. Once he was preaching to a couple of hippies, while crawled under an automobile. All that was visible of him was a pair of legs, yet the two hippies stood there, transfixed by his message. During Ratha-yatra time he would organize a crew of cynics, hippies, bloopers, uncooperative personalities and non-devotees off the street to help build the carts. He would get them to work for ten to fourteen hours a day, always glorifying them.

 The Cc Antya 7.11 it is stated, 'The fundamental religious system in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Krishna. Unless empowered by Krishna, one cannot propagate the sankirtana movement.' Because of the genuine compassion in Jayananda, Krishna gave Him the unique ability to make people want to render devotional service, directly or indirectly.

 Materially renounced
 ********************
 Jayananda had almost no possessions, even during his years as a householder. What ever he had, he used for the service of the temple and Srila Prabhupada. When he was gifted five thousand dollars, he promptly donated that to Srila Prabhupada. In the introduction of the Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada acknowledges this contribution. For many years he was almost single handedly supporting the temple by driving his cab for 12-14 hours a day. When he was in his last days of his life, he used the money given to him for his treatment to support the Ratha-yatra in Los Angeles.

 He was extremely careful with what he considered to be Srila Prabhupada's money. When selling incense, he would sleep on park benches in bitter cold rather than spend money on a motel. He used his considerable charm to get people to donate almost every thing that was needed. What he could no get for free, he made sure that he received a good value for the money spent.

 His final lesson in material detachment came when it was discovered that he was suffering from cancer of the lymph and blood. Jayananda continued as if nothing had changed. When his body became frail and weak, he continued preaching, inspiring and organizing from his bed in the hospital. For him the body was simply a means to render devotional service to the Lord.

 In Cc. Madhya 6.254 Caitanya Mahaprabhu summarizes in the phrase 'vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga', which means 'renunciation through the wisdom that comes from practicing devotional service.' Jayananda was a true sannyasi, as one who did not just renounce material objects but actually renounced the desire for these material objects. He was always eager to use everything for the service of Krishna, however he had no personal desire for anything material.

 Jayananda: king of the Ratha-yatra
 ***********************************
 Jayananda was the backbone of the Bay area Ratha-yatra for several years. Behind the scene he would do everything for the preparation of the festival. He would beg food, flowers, funds - buy materials and build the carts. He would arrange for the permits, organize the cooking and serving of prasad. Although things always went right down the wire, he would consistently succeed in fulfilling all this plans every year. After the festival he would cook a cake or a pie for each and every person who had some how helped in the festival. Because of his efforts the Bay area devotees to this day enjoy an amazingly harmonious relationship with the city officials.

 In his last days Jayananda was busy organizing the Ratha-yatra from the hospital bed. He would talk to people on the phone, send his associates to meet various persons and things began to miraculously materialize. Every moment of his life was preciously used in the service of Krishna.

 Mystic opulence
 *****************
 It is said that pure devotional service brings about much opulence. Thought the devotees never seek them out, once they are there, they are used for the service of Krishna.

 Jayananda apparently could function with very little or even no sleep. Towards the last few days of the Ratha-yatra he would sleep less than three hours a day, yet he was the most energetic and enlivened member of the crew. His propensity to consume prasad was astounding. He could consume buckets of halva, plates of samosas and potatoes without any side effect. When he was in his last days, he was put on an intravenous diet, yet he would often ask devotees to sneak in huge quantities of samosas and cheese-potatoes for him, which he would happily consume without any apparent distress. He would some times sleep in the Bhagavatam classes, since he was very tired, yet later on he could perfectly quote from the class or have a deep discussion about its contents.

 In BG 4.26, Sri Krishna declares that, 'One who is engaged in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.' In the Närada-pancaratra, devotional service to the Lord is likened unto a queen attended by her maidservants in the form of material opulences, liberation and mysticism. Jayananda never had any hankering for these, but when they came, he simply used them in the service of Krishna.

 Special relationship with Srila Prabhupada
 ******************************************
 Jayananda has complete faith in Srila Prabhupada. He perfected his devotion by making the instructions of Srila Prabhupada the very core of his life. He was advanced enough to realize that real association was through following the instructions of the spiritual master. Unlike most of the other devotees, who would go out of their way to get some personal association of Srila Prabhupada, Jayananda was contend to work in the background, carrying out his instructions. He exemplified the superiority of association by vani (instructions) over vapu (personal association). Srila Prabhupada would invariably call of Jayananda when he was in the temple. Jayananda would resist saying, 'No, I cannot go. I am too dirty. I am too fallen,' such were the transcendental exchanges between the spiritual master and his dear disciple.

 In Cc. Madhya 19.151, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that, 'Among all the living entities wandering throughout the universe, one who is most fortunate comes in contact with a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus gets the opportunity to execute devotional service.' Jayananda was one of these fortunate souls who came in contact with a pure devotee of the Lord and under his guidance was able to perfect his devotional life.

 Conclusion
 **********
 Jayananda passed away on May 1, 1977. He joined the Krishna consciousness movement in 1967, just when it is in its beginning, and left the planet a few months before Srila Prabhupada. In the scriptures it is said that when the pure devotees of the Lord appear to execute His will, their associates invariably accompany them. One cannot help but speculate that Jayananda had only come to serve his eternal spiritual master. The fact that Srila Prabhupada was on this planet at the time of his passing away is also significant. It let Srila Prabhupada affirm that 'every one should follow the example of Jayananda.'

 We offer our most humble obeisances to Sri Srimad Jayananda Prabhu, the exemplary teacher of devotional service in Krishna consciousness.

Nrsimha Bija mantra - ugram bhiram maha-vishnum.......
Nrsimha prayers - namaste narasimhaya.......
Narasimha mahamantra
Pictures of the Narasimha and other avataras:
Mantras to Lord Narasimha
More mantras and prayers to Lord Narasimha
Nrisimha Kavacha - shield: of both Brahma and Prahlad maharaj:
108 Names of Narasimha for yajas - homa - havan
1000 Names of Nrsimhadev, collected by Kushkratha dasa
Sri Narasimha Nakha Stuti:
Sri Nrisimha Stuti:
Ahobilam Stotram
Ugra-Nrsimha-Dhyana - meditation

Nrsimha prayers .pdf - download

Nrisimha Chaturdasi puja:
Simple Tadiya Narasimha puja:

Nrsimha Chaturdasi 2006 by HH Guru Prasad Swami

For more information on the Narasimha Avatara of Vishnu:
http://narasimha.avatara.org/

The Glories of the Nrsimhadev Shalagram Sila and rendering service to Him:

Sri Shaligram Tirtha Pradarshini site - where there are sooooooooooooo many Silas:

Various prayers to Lord Narasimha by Swami Desika Vadagalite Sri Sampradaya, Swami of Ahobalam Mutt, etc MP3 files

(from Sri Dasavatara-stotra, p. 97)
 

tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-srngam

dalita-hiranyakasipu-tanu-bhrngam

keshava dhrta-narahari-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

"The fourth incarnation is Nåsiàhadeva. Nåsiàhadeva appeared to save Prahläda Mahäräja, who was five-years-old boy and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiraëyakaçipu took benediction from Brahmä that he’ll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal. This is the difference between the Lord’s intelligence and our intelligence. We are thinking that we can cheat the Lord by our intelligence, but the Lord is more intelligent than us. This Hiraëyakaçipu wanted to cheat Brahmä by indirect definition. First of all he wanted to become immortal. Brahmä said, “That is not possible because even I am not immortal. Nobody in this material world is immortal. That is not possible.” So Hiraëyakaçipu, the demon... The demons are very intelligent. He thought that “Round about way I shall become immortal.” He prayed to Brahmä that “Please give me the benediction that I shall not be killed by any man or any animal.” Brahmä said, “Yes, that is all right.” “I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water or on land.” Brahmä said, “Oh yes.” “I shall not be killed by any man-made weapons.” “That’s all right.” In this way he utilized his intelligence in so many ways just to come to the conclusion of being immortal. But the Lord is so cunning that He kept intact all the benediction given by Brahmä, still he was killed. He said that “I’ll not be killed either during daytime or night.” Brahmä said “Yes.” So he was killed just in the evening, just in the junction of day and night. You cannot say it is day or night. He took the benediction that “I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water, on the land.” So he was killed on His lap. He took the benediction that “I shall not be killed by any man-made or any God-made weapons.” That was given, “All right.” So he was killed by the nails. In this way, all the benedictions were kept intact, still he was killed. Similarly, we may make plan, we may make very advancement in scientific knowledge, but the killing process of nature will be there. Nobody can escape. By our intelligence we cannot escape. The four principles of material existence means birth, death, old age and disease. We can manufacture many medicines, many weapons, many means, many methods, but you cannot escape these four principles of material existence, however great you may be. That was proved by Hiraëyakaçipu. Hiraëyakaçipu was one of the stalwart materialistic and he wanted to live forever, enjoy, but he also could not live. Everything was finished" (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 18th February 1970. Class on Sri Varaha-dwadasi purporting the Dasavatar-stotra - Ten main incarnations of the Lor. Los Angeles.)

720527SB.LA

Prabhupäda: So today, appearance day of Lord Nåsiàhadeva. Lord Nåsiàhadeva appeared on this Nåsiàha Cäturdaçé on account of His devotee, Prahläda. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä, yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati bhärata, abhyutthänam adharmasya [Bg. 4.7]. Pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäà, sambhavämi yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]. The Lord appears with two purposes. Pariträëäya sädhünäm: just to give protection and rescue the devotees, and to kill the demons, vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm. So Prahläda Mahäräja, five-years-old boy, his only fault was that he was Kåñëa conscious. He was devotee of Kåñëa. That was his only fault. And the father was so unkind to a child, even five years old. He could not excuse, “Oh, let this boy do whatever, chanting Hare Kåñëa.” No. The demons are so much against God consciousness that even at his home he would not allow his own child to become God conscious. This is demoniac civili... So you’ll find many critics, many enemies, because you are making progress in Kåñëa consciousness. So the demons are always against this Kåñëa consciousness movement. That is the whole history. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. What was his fault? He was preaching God consciousness, that’s all. This society is so cruel. So Prahläda Mahäräja was tortured in so many ways. The torturing methods, I think you will find as you will see in today’s picture, how Prahläda Mahäräja was tortured.
So one day, Hiraëyakaçipu... After all, he was his son. Affection was there. So one day, Hiraëyakaçipu asked the boy,

prahrädänücyatäà täta
svadhétaà kiïcid uttamaà
kälenaitävatäyuñman
yad açikñäd guror bhavän
 [SB 7.5.22]

So he asked his son, “My dear son, what you have learned? The best thing, what you have learned from your teachers, so you kindly let me know.” So Prahläda Mahäräja informed that “I have learned like this.” What is that?

çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù
smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
sakhyam ätma-nivedanam

iti puàsärpitä viñëau
bhaktiç cen nava-lakñaëä
kriyeta bhagavaty addhä
tan manye ’dhétam uttamam
 [SB 7.5.23-24]

Tan manye ’dhétam uttamam: one who is engaged in the matter of hearing about Viñëu, çravaëaà kértanamviñëoù. We are engaged in hearing and talking and chanting about so many things non-Viñëu. Just like you’ll find thousands of, millions of different types of magazines sold in your country, in all countries. Some of the magazines are sex literature, some cinema literature, some this literature, that... So many different types. There is one paper I have seen, “Diabetes Literature.” There are many patients of diabetes, so they have formed a society, “Diabetic Society.” I have seen it. (laughter) And there are many diabetic patients, they are being hoaxed, that “You pay two dollars per year, and you get all information how to protect yourself from diabetes disease.” So in America two dollars is nothing, but it is collecting millions and millions of dollars, Diabetic Society. Diabetic magazine. So that sort of hearing and chanting is not needed. We are not interested in all these magazines, because we are followers of Prahläda Mahäräja. He’s our äcärya. He’s guru. Prahläda Mahäräja’s guru is Närada, and Närada is also our guru. Närada is guru of Vyäsadeva. So we are a branch, but the original guru is Närada, Brahma-sampradäya. So Prahläda Mahäräja is also a disciple of Närada Muni.
So he teaches that çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù [SB 7.5.23]. We have to hear and talk and chant about Viñëu. Çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù smaraëaà päda-sevanam. To remember Him always, to worship His lotus feet, päda-sevanam. Arcanam, temple worship, to keep the Deity nicely worshiped, offer foodstuff, ärati, this is called arcanaà. Vandanam, offering prayers. Just like we offer prayer, govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi **. These are prayers. There are so many prayers. Keçava-dhåta buddha-çaréra, keñava-dhåta narahari-rüpa. These are all prayers. This is also part of devotional service.

çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù
smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
sakhyam...
 [SB 7.5.23]

Arcanaà vandanaà däsyam. To be always in service of the Lord, däsyaà; sakhyam, to make friendship with Him, to consider Kåñëa as your friend. He says... Even if I do not say that He’s my friend, He says, “I am friend of everyone.” Suhådaà sarva-bhütänäm [Bg. 5.29]. He’s friend of everyone. We don’t want His friendship, but He wants our friendship. He wants us to go back to home, Godhead; we don’t want. So He is more anxious to take us, exactly like the father is more affectionate than the son. That’s a fact. So He’s the supreme father. So He wants that we may be happy, and therefore He comes to show us. He sends His representative, son. He leaves behind Him books so that we may go back to home, back to Godhead. So, sakhyam. He’s always sitting with me, within my heart. I am in the heart, and Paramätmä is also within the heart as friend to give me advice that “Why you are bothering in this material world? Please come back to home, back to Me.” This is going on. Sakhyam ätma-nivedanam. Ätma-nivedanam means fully surrendered. So there are examples of devotees who, sarvätma-nivedanam. Just like Bali Mahäräja. He gave everything to Kåñëa, even his body, everything, whatever, his kingdom, money, everything.
So Prahläda Mahäräja says, iti puàsärpitä viñëau bhaktiç cen nava-lakñaëä. All these items means hearing. Hearing about Viñëu, chanting about Kåñëa, giving everything to Viñëu, offering prayers to Viñëu, offering arcana, temple worship, Viñëu. In this way Prahläda Mahäräja summarizes that “Anyone who is doing like this, everything about Viñëu...” iti puàsärpitä viñëau bhaktiç cen nava-lakñaëä, “this nine kinds of different devotional services,” kriyeta bhagavatay addhä, “directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” tan manye ’dhétam uttamam, “I think he is the best learned man in the world. He is the most learned.” Tan manye ’dhétam. “He has studied everything very nicely.” Actually, that is the fact. Jïäna, knowledge Knowledge means to know Kåñëa, God, and the Vedic injunction is, yasmin vijïäte sarvam evaà vijïätaà bhavanti. If you understand the Supreme Lord, then you understand everything. You haven’t got to study differently different subject matters. Just like we sometimes talk of science, of astronomy, economics, politics. We talk sometimes. But we are not going to, or we didn’t study all the subject matter separately. But in course of our studying Kåñëa consciousness, we know something of everything. So Prahläda Mahäräja says, tan manye adhétam uttamam: “One who is engaged in these nine kinds of devotional services directly...” So Prahläda Mahäräja recommends, kriyeta bhagavaty addhä tan manye ’dhétam uttamam.

niçamyaitat suta-vaco
hiraëyakaçipus tadä
guru-putraà cedaà ruñä
prasphuritädharaù

As soon as he heard, “Oh, what this nonsense boy is speaking?” he became so angry that sphuritädharaù. When one becomes angry, his lips vi..., I mean to say, jumps. What is called? Quiver, yes. So he became so angry that it is said, sphuritädharaù. (He) immediately called his teacher. He’s king... Because he thought, “The rascal teachers, they have taught him like this. I have entrusted the boy to the teachers, to brähmaëas, and they have taught this Kåñëa consciousness. So call him. Otherwise, how is that this small boy, five years old only, he’s talking just like a great saint? So call his teacher!”

brahma-bandho kim etat
te vipakñaà çrayatäsatä
asäraà grähito bälo
mäm anädåtya durmate

Hiraëyakaçipu became bitterest enemy of Viñëu because his brother Hiranyakña, he was killed by Viñëu taking the shape of Varäha. You know the story. Since then, Hiraëyakaçipu was bitterest enemy. “Oh, He has, Viñëu has killed my brother. So He is my greatest enemy.” So he won’t hear anything about Viñëu. Any Viñëu devotee, he will punish him, even his own son. That was his policy. So he immediately called him, the teachers, and addressed him,

brahma-bandho kim etat te
vipakñam çrayatäsatä
asäraà grähito bälo
mäm anädåtya durmate

So here... Teachers are generally brähmaëas. Not generally. To become teacher is the business of the brähmaëas. Brähmaëa means they have got six kinds of... Everyone must have livelihood. This material world is that you must work; otherwise you cannot get your livelihood. That is the law, whatever you may be. So the brähmaëas’ means of livelihood, six things: paöhana päöhana yajana yäjana däna pratigraha. Paöhana means he must be a very learned scholar, study the Vedic literature, and must teach others also. That is brähmaëa’s business. And in that way, whatever the disciples bring, that is his income. No salary, no contract, that “If you pay me hundred dollars or five hundred dollars weekly, then I can teach you.” No. There is no such contract. Teaching is free. It is the business of a brähmaëa to give free education to everyone. Now, it is the... Just like in our institution, I am your teacher, but there is no such contract that you have to pay me. But you pay me more than anything. So paöhana päöhana, that is the means of livelihood of brähmaëa. And kñatriya, they are kings. They can levy tax of the citizens because they are giving protection from being hurt by others. Kñatriya means one who gives protection (to) a man being hurt by others. That is the real root meaning. Kñatriya. And vaiçya means they should, kåñi-gorakñya-väëijyam, they should engage themselves in producing foodstuff, foodgrains, kåñi, protect cows. Especially gorakñya. As the king is meant for giving protection to the man, similarly, a vaiçya is supposed to give protection to the cows, or they keep cows and produce milk products. They are vaiçya. And çüdra, simply service. So these are the different types of employment of different kinds of social order. And a king, the king has to see that everyone is employed. Not that hundreds of people are unemployed, and government has to give welfare, subsidy. Not like that. The king’s duty is that everyone is independently earning his livelihood. That is king’s duty.
So here the teachers are addressed here brahma-bandho. Brahma-bandho means a person who is born by a brähmaëa father but is not acting as a brähmaëa. He’s called brahma-bandho, dvéja-bandhu. Dvéja-bandhu, one who is born of a, actually born of a brähmaëa father, but he’s not acting as a brähmaëa. So Hiraëyakaçipu addressed the teachers brahma-bandho, not brähmaëa. “Because you are untrustworthy. I gave you, I entrusted you with my son to be taught, and you have taught him this Kåñëa consciousness. So against my will...” He says practically, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipakñaà çrayatäsatä: “I entrusted my child for being educated by you, and you have instigated him to speak in favor of my enemy, Viñëu? Viñëu is my enemy. How is that?” Asäraà grähito bälo mäm anädåtya durmate. “This rascal boy, he does not care for me, and he has learned this Kåñëa consciousness, and you have taught him. How is that?”

santi hy asädhavo loke
durmaiträç chadma-veçiëaù
teñäà udety aghaà käle
rogaù pätakinäm iva

“So I think these demigods who are followers of Viñëu, they are coming in disguise and poisoning my son by teaching Kåñëa consciousness, and you did not take care of him. So what is this?”
Then the teachers replied,

na mat-praëétaà na para-praëétaà
suto vadaty eña tavendra-çatro
naisargikéyaà matir asya räjan
niyaccha manyuà kad adäù sma mä naù

They said, “My dear King, don’t think we have taught him like this. It is not... I know, it is not our duty to teach him against your will. But his Kåñëa consciousness is not due to our teaching; neither somebody is coming in disguise and teaching him.” Na mat-praëétaà na para-praëétam. “He is neither taught by us, nor by anyone else.” Suto vadaty eña tavendra-çatro. Indra-çatro. The enemy... The Hiraëyakaçipu is the enemy of the demigods; therefore he is addressed as Indra-çatro. As he addressed the brähmaëa, brahma-bandho, so they retaliated also, that “You are enemy of the demigods.” Naisargikéyam, “By nature he is doing that. We try to forbid him. We try to stop him chanting Hare Kåñëa, but still he’s doing.” Matir asya räjan niyaccha manyuà kad adäù sma mä. “You don’t be angry upon us. We never did it.” So... “He is, by his own nature he chants, he preaches, he’s doing all this.”

guruëaivaà pratiprokto
bhüya ähäsuraù sutaà
na ced guru-mukhéyaà te
kuto ’bhadräsaté matiù

Then he again asked his son, “Now I understand that your teacher has not taught you all these things. You rascal, where you have learned all this Kåñëa consciousness?” (laughter) Abhadra. Kuto abhadräsaté matiù: “Wherefrom you got this rascal wisdom? Tell me.” So this is the position, you see. Even father becomes enemy.
Now, Prahläda Mahäräja is replying. Prahläda Mahäräja is replying,

matir na kåñëe parataù svato vä
mitho ’bhipadyeta gåha-vratänäm
adänta-gobhir viçatäà tamisraà
punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm
 [SB 7.5.30]

“My dear father, don’t be afraid. It is not a thing to be taught.” Matir na kåñëe. “Nobody can become Kåñëa conscious,” matir na kåñëe parato, “being taught by others,” matir na kåñëe parataù svato vä, “or by mental speculation or thinking oneself,” mitho ’bhipadyeta, “or by making conference meeting, religious meeting, conference.” No. Three things. One thing is to learn Kåñëa consciousness by speculative method, self-realization. Just like so many people are very much interested that “Why shall I go to a guru? I can realize myself. I shall meditate.” So that is called svataù. And parataù means by others’ instruction. And mitho, mitho means by assembly. So who? Now, gåha-vratänäm. If one is gåha-vratä... There are two things: gåhastha and gåha-vratä, or gåhamedhi. “So those who are gåha-vratä...” because he is pointing out his father’s position, that he’s gåha-vratä. He has no other business. He simply wants to get money, hiraëya. Hiraëya means gold, and kaçipu, a nice apartment. That’s all. So he says that gåha-vratänäm, “If one makes it his point to remain in a comfortable home life, for him, either by speculation or by teaching or by meeting, he’ll never develop Kåñëa consciousness.” Gåha-vratänäm. Then what is their position? Now, adänta-gobhir viçatäà tamiñram: “They are unable to control their senses, and as such, they are entering into the darkest region of material existence.” Punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm: [SB 7.5.30] “Their only business is chewing the chewed.” They have no other ways. Gåha-vratänäm, those who want to be happy materially, actually they are chewing the chewed. Material happiness means sex life, ultimate, utmost, topmost happiness. So people are simply trying to, how to utilize this sex life in so many ways, in pictures and in... I do not wish to discuss. In dancing, in club, in so many ways. Because they cannot control the senses. The same thing, same thing, the same sex life in different way. Sometimes a naked dance, sometimes in this way, sometimes in that way. Therefore it is called punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm [SB 7.5.30]. I have heard that some people go to Florida and they spend fifty thousand dollars per week for organizing naked dance. So naked woman he has seen so many times, but still he spends more money to see it in a different way. That is called punaù punaç carvita-carvaëänäm [SB 7.5.30], “chewing the chewed.”
So persons who are too much attached to sense gratification, and they have made it their conclusion that “We shall be happy within our family life or this social life...” Vidyäpati sings, tätala saikate väri-bindu sama suto-mita-ramané-samäj(?). Our society means... Society, friendship, and love. There must be woman, must be children, suto-mita-ramané-samäje. So there is some pleasure, undoubtedly. Otherwise, why people are working so hard to stick to this position? Vidyäpati sings that tätala saikate väri-bindu sama suto-mita-ramané-samäj(?). There is undoubtedly some pleasure, but that pleasure is so insignificant that it can be compared: a drop of water on the desert. Desert, if you want to utilize desert to make it a garden or productive field, you have to pour water. The whole ocean water you have to pour there. Now, if somebody says, “All right, you want water. Now take this one drop water,” then what it will do? Similarly, our heart is hankering after so many things. We are hankering... Actually we are hankering after Kåñëa, but we do not know. We are trying to satisfy our hankering in so many ways in material life. Actually we are hankering after Kåñëa. Just like a small child, it is crying. It cannot express, but it is wanting the mother’s breast feeding. So you cannot stop him crying unless it is transferred to the mother. Similarly, actually we love Kåñëa. That is a fact. Because we love Kåñëa... Therefore you, who did not hear even the name of Kåñëa, say, four or five years ago, why you after so much Kåñëa? This is the proof, that actually we are after Kåñëa. This Kåñëa consciousness movement is being accepted in Western countries by the younger generation. Why? Because every one of us, we love Kåñëa. But it is now covered by mäyä. We have to simply take out the covering, mäyä; then we are Kåñëa conscious.
That is explained in the Caitanya-caritämåta,

nitya-siddha kåñëa-bhakti ‘sädhya’ kabhu naya
çravaëädi-çuddha-citte karaye udaya

That Kåñëa consciousness is not an artificial thing, that we are making some propaganda on Kåñëa consciousness, publishing some books, magazines, and our preachers are going place to place. No, there are so many propaganda is going on. But they are not so effective. And our, what means we have got to make propaganda? We simply make this propaganda, “Please chant Hare Kåñëa.” That’s all. Of course, we do sincerely. So if we propagate sincerely and seriously, as Caitanya Mahäprabhu has ordered, yäre dekha, täre kaha ‘kåñëa’ upadeça... [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. We must be sincere. Then, if we canvass, “Please chant Hare Kåñëa,” it will be effective. It will be effective. The business is not very serious or very difficult. Caitanya Mahäprabhu says, yäre dekha, täre kaha ‘kåñëa’... “Anyone you meet, you simply request him about hearing about Kåñëa.” So... But if one is so much covered by materialistic enjoyment, it takes little time. It takes little time. Otherwise, automatically there is love for Kåñëa, and çravaëädi-çuddha-citte...
Therefore Prahläda Mahäräja says, çravaëam. If we hear about Kåñëa constantly, through realized souls, not professional—if we hear, satäà prasaìgän mama vérya-saàvido [SB 3.25.25]—then automatically, our dormant Kåñëa consciousness come out. So Prahläda Mahäräja says, therefore, that “Those who are determined to become happy within this material world, they cannot be raised to Kåñëa consciousness either by personal teaching or by making conference or by mental speculation.” That is not possible, because he is determined. So our duty is that we should know that in the materialistic way of life we shall never be happy. This is called knowledge. And vairägya. So this vairägya and knowledge is not so easy. Prahläda Mahäräja says, adänta-gobhir viçatäà tamisram: it is not possible. That means he assures his father, “Don’t be worried. You will never be Kåñëa conscious. (laughter) Because your only aim is to stick to home and money and women. Therefore rest assured, you’ll not be ... It is not that a person like you will be raised to Kåñëa consciousness.” Then? How you have done? The next question should be: Why they are sticking to this materialistic way of life?
That is answered by Prahläda, na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëum [SB 7.5.31]. “These persons, those who are so much materially attached, they do not know the ultimate goal of life is Viñëu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viñëu.” That is actually the ultimate goal of life. We are here in this material world, forgetting Kåñëa, to enjoy, to lord it over the material nature. Everyone is trying to become the lord, master of material... That is struggle. Nobody can become lord or master of this material world. But that struggle to become master, they are taking it happiness. They are taking it happiness. That is the nature of persons who are influenced by the modes of passion. They’ll work hard, and that will, they will take it is very good, pleasing. Because they do not know that the... Na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà duräçayä ye bahir-artha-mäninaù [SB 7.5.31]. They are hoping against hope to become happy within this material world. That is the whole history. Take the history, any history, modern history. There are so many empires: the Roman Empire, the Carthaginian Empire, the Greek Empire, the British Empire recently, Hitler’s Nazism, and so many. For some time they become very powerful. Just like Hiraëyakaçipu, he’s now very powerful. He’s thinking, “Nobody can...” Now today he’ll be killed. Keçava-dhåta narahari rüpa is coming. So this demonic civilization will never be successful. That’s a fact. But they are so fool, they do not see even historical evidences. So many empires failed. The Roman Empire failed, the British Empire failed. Still, somebody is trying to create another empire, another, different empire. Just like your President Nixon, he’s trying to influence all other nations under his control. Why? Of course, I should not speak all these things. There may be criticism. But that is the way, going on. That is the way. We can understand. We can understand politics, economics, everything, but we do not bother about. But our aim is that this way of life, to increase materially happiness, it will never be successful. That is our conclusion. We are not fools that we have given up everything for advance in Kåñëa consciousness. Because we know that this, this way we shall never be happy. It is not possible.
That is explained by Prahläda Mahäräja. These rascal people who are so much materially attached... Kåñëa also says in the Bhagavad-gétä,

 bhogaiçvarya-prasaktänäà
tayäpahåta-cetasäà
vyavasäyätmikä buddhiù
samädhau na nigacchati
 [Bg. 2.44]

Those who are too much attached, bhoga, material enjoyment, aiçvarya, material opulence ... Bhogaiçvarya-prasaktänäà tayäpahåta-cetasäm. Persons whose heart has been misled by this kind of civilization, they cannot take to Kåñëa consciousness. Therefore to become too much materially opulent is a disqualification for attaining Kåñëa consciousness. It is a disqualification. Because they don’t care. Just like in our temple, not very rich men, they are coming, because they (say,) “What is this nonsense, Kåñëa consciousness? We have got everything. These boys, they haven’t got to eat anything; therefore they are chanting Hare Kåñëa on the street. That’s all.” They think like that. “They’re needy. All right, they are needy. Give them some money.” That’s all. They don’t like to take anything from us because the same business, matir na kåñëe parataù svato vä. They’ll never understand, because their aim is grha-vratanam. They want to be happy... Although they are seeing there is no happiness, they never can be happy, still... This is called punaù punaç carvita-carvanänäm [SB 7.5.30], chewing the chewed. One, the sugarcane, is chewed by somebody. It is thrown away. And if somebody else comes and chew it again, what juice he will have it? So punaù punaç carvita... Na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà [SB 7.5.31]. Duräçayä ye duräçayä viñaya väsé (reads Sanskrit commentary) tantraya käraëaà te hi viñëuà na viduù. Tatra hetu svasminn eva arthe puruñartha yeñäà teñäà gatià grämyaà. Na tu te ’pi guru pati syät viñëu jïäsyasi tatra bhak bahir viñaye bahavo yeñäà te bahir arthas tann eva guru tena mantra çélaà yeñäà te.
So one who is fixed up in this conclusion, that “We shall become happy with this materialistic way of life,” they cannot take to Kåñëa consciousness. And they do not know also that our ultimate goal of life is Kåñëa, Viñëu. Then why it is so? Now, andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäs te ’péça-tantryäm uru-dämni baddhäù. They have become blind. They are blind themselves, and they are also led by blind leaders. The leaders, at the present moment, leaders, they say that “Why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? If you want your bread...” Just like in Christian religion you go to church, “O God, give us our daily bread.” But the atheist class, they are propagating, “For bread, why you are going to church? You make industry, you make business, and you get bread.” But actually... We were just talking that there are so many unemployment. Our Karandhara prabhu was... No. Who was talking? Çyämasundara. Çyämasundara said that the computer... What is called, computer? It can do thousands of men’s business. So they have discovered this machine. That means thousands of men will be unemployed. That is actually happening in your country due to so many machines. Now, take for example, formerly... You have seen the picture, Kåñëa, Våndävana picture, Kåñëa’s father transferring Kåñëa. They were going on bullock carts, no motorcar. You have seen the picture. So formerly, transport was bullock carts. The cows and the bulls, the bulls were employed for agricultural purpose, for drawing the carts. So there was no necessity of motorcar. Now you have got motor, motor-tractor. You don’t want the bullocks. Therefore kill them. How you can utilize them? Therefore you must have slaughterhouse to kill them. And as soon as you kill them, then you have to eat them. So this is the, I mean to say, entanglement. If you kill, then you become responsible for being killed. The subtle laws...
Therefore, without knowing our ultimate goal of life is Viñëu, na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëum... [SB 7.5.31]. That is our interest. The human form of life is offered by nature after so much evolutionary process. Just to understand Viñëu, God, this is the only business. But instead of attending our real business, we are trying to be happy in other ways. Then you can say that “If we are engaged in real business, then how the economic question will be solved? We have to work.” That’s all right, you work. But work simple. Why you have invented so much botheration? Work is there. If you have cows and if you have got land, then you till the land, get grains, and there is milk, there is fruit, there is flower. Anywhere, you can live peacefully. Whole economic question is solved. And because we have forgotten, we have missed the real point, that our life is meant for God-realization. We are simply increasing botheration. Punaù punaç carvita. Adänta-gobhir viñatäà tamisram. Andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäù. The leaders are blind; we are also blind. So they are advising that “If you want to solve your economic problem, why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? Come here, increase business, industry. Take loan and start business.” That’s all. This is going on. But actually, the more we are trying to mislead this people... Because they are thinking it is all right. They are... That the social condition is becoming more and more grave. That’s a fact. We are trying to solve one problem, but many other problems are coming because we do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Because we are missing the real point.
Therefore Prahläda Mahäräja said, na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà duräçayä ye bahir-artha-mäninaù [SB 7.5.31]. These rascals, they are thinking that by so-called economic development, by exploiting material resources, we shall be happy. That is not possible. The best example your country has given. You have exploited the material resources, and other countries are also following, but where is the happiness? Instead of happiness, there is “hippyness.” (laughter) So still, they have no eyes to see that “Where we are going?” Adänta-gobhir viçatäà tamisram punaù punaç carvita-carvanänäm [SB 7.5.30]. Because we cannot control our senses, we are driving, we are being pushed towards the darkest region of material existence, very hard to leave. Darkest region means that we are going to become animals next life. Because this is animalistic civilization. Nature gave us the opportunity to realize God, but God-realization is meant for human being. The human being, if he does not realize God, he’s simply engaged in animalistic way of life—eating, sleeping, mating—then nature will call, “All right, sir, again become animal.” Punar müñiko bhava: “Again become a mouse.” You know this story? Punar müñiko bhava. There is a story. There is a very nice story. One rat, mouse, he came to a saintly person. Everyone comes to saintly person for some blessing, you see. Real blessing they don’t want. Some material blessing. Real blessing, Kåñëa, they don’t want. If you give him some blessing that “You become very rich man and...” These are all very well, this. So this mouse also came and begged the saintly person, “Sir, I am in difficulty. If you give me some blessing?”
“What is that?”
“The cat chases after me always. I’m very unhappy.”
“So what do you want?”
“Now, if you make me a cat, then I can get relief from this thing.”
“All right, you become cat.” So he became cat.
So after few days, again he comes. “Sir, again I am in trouble.”
“What is that?”
“The dog is chasing me.” (laughter) Don’t laugh, hear seriously. “Dog is chasing me.”
“All right, then, what do you want?”
“Now, make me a tiger.”
“All right, you become a tiger.”
So when he became a tiger he was staring on the saintly person like this.
So he asked, “Why you are staring upon me? You want to eat me?”
“Yes.”
So he again curses, punar müñiko bhava: “Again you become mouse. Again you become mouse.”
So that is our position. We are advanced in civilization. Now we want to kill God. So we are again going to be uncivilized, to remain in the forest and to remain naked. Actually, they are practicing that: nature’s way. So again they are going to be aborigines. And that is being practiced. They are going to the forest, they remain naked. So actually, punar müñiko bhava: “Again become mouse.” Civilized human being means God conscious, happy life, no trouble, no enviousness, everything happy, no hard labor. Why hard labor? Everything is there. You just employ your little intelligence, you get sufficient food by grains, by fruits, by flowers, milk. There is no difficulty if we remain in our own way. So that is the difficulty, that we do not know that our ultimate goal of life is God-realization. Then God has got all arrangement. You cannot produce fruits and grains in factory. They are given by God. Why? That “You eat them and be Kåñëa conscious, chant Hare Kåñëa.” But we don’t want that. We want slaughterhouse, unnecessarily. Actually, if you go to the store... There are so many stores. How many stores are selling only meat? It is not possible. Ninety-nine percent fruits, vegetables, grains you are taking, and maybe a little percentage of meat. So why you cannot give up this little percentage? If you think that meat is very palatable, why don’t you live on meat? Russia is also trying like that. That has become the fashion. In Moscow, it was very difficult to find out nice grains. With great difficulty Çyämasundara used to spend two hours daily to secure these things.
So this is the problem. Na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà durañçayä ye bahir-artha mäninaù [SB 7.5.31]. They are trying to be happy by the arrangement of these material activities. Andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäs te ’péça-tantryäm. They do not know that the material nature is so strong that you cannot get out of it unless you are prepared to suffer more and more. If you take to natural life and live peacefully and take to Kåñëa consciousness, that is your real life. And if you simply increase botheration and problems, then you’ll have to suffer. That is the position of modern civilization. Actually, superficially we see that material advancement of material science, people have got so many machines, so many facilities. But actually, they are in trouble. Just like I gave you one example: the computer machine. It can work for thousands of men. So thousands of men means the thousands of men must be unemployed. And especially in your country, they are taking advantage of this machine because the salary is If you want to pay to the worker, a big, big salary. So they want to save. They are taking machine, and they think they will save money, so many workers. But the workers are becoming unemployed. The government has to give them welfare. The government will tax. That’s all. (laughter.) Government will not give money, welfare, from government’s pocket. The government will increase your taxation. So you are..., you stop payment by importing some machine, now you have to pay that money to the government. This is called entanglement. This is a crude example. I don’t say that you stop all this business, but the material world is like that. You want to solve something; instead of solving, you’ll create so many problems. This is material life. Because our life is not meant for solving problems and creating problems. Our life is meant for understanding God. Then everything is all right. But that you have given up.

na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëuà
duräçayä ye bahir-artha-mäninaù
andhä yathändhair upanéyamänäs
te ’péça-tantryäm uru-dämni baddhäù
 [SB 7.5.31]

They do not know that you cannot go an inch beyond the stringent laws of material nature. That is not possible.
Then the next question is that how... People are not interested in Kåñëa consciousness, and then, they are misled by blind leaders. So how, what is the solution? That is Prahläda Mahäräja saying,

naiñäà matis tävad urukramäìghrià
spåçaty anarthäpagamo yad-arthaù
mahéyasäà päda-rajo-’bhiñekaà
niñkiïcanänäà na våëéta yävat

Therefore one has to take shelter of a pure devotee. That is the only solution. He says, naiñäà matis tävad urukramäìgrhim. The beginning was that “They are not interested in Kåñëa consciousness.” Then how to become Kåñëa conscious if that is the solution? Then Prahläda Mahäräja says, naiñäà matis tävad: “So long one does not approach a pure devotee,” mahéyasäà niñkiïcanänäm, “great personalities, who has no more any material interest,” niñkiïcana, “and takes the dust of his lotus feet on the head...” Naiñäà matis tävad urukramäìghrim: “So long one does not approach such personality, there is no possibility of becoming Kåñëa conscious.” Naiñäà matis tävad urukramäìghrim. As soon as one approaches the pure devotee and takes the dust of his lotus feet and puts it on his head, immediately, anartha apagamaù, he’ll be freed from all this nonsense. That means he’ll forget this idea that “Materially we can advance.” This is the process. So we have to approach a niñkiïcana, who has nothing to do with this material world. His only ambition is to serve more Kåñëa. And if somebody approaches him and takes the dust of his lotus feet, then he can understand. Mahéyasäà päda-rajo-’bhiñekaà niñkiïcanänäà na våëéta yävat. (aside:) Our time is over? All right.
So in this way Prahläda Mahäräja talked with his father, and the father became more angry. Instead of taking the lesson ... Mürkhäya upadeça hi prakopäya na çäntaye. If you teach lesson to a foolish person, he’ll be simply angry. He’ll not take your lesson. How it is so? Payaù-pänaà bhujaìgänäà kevalaà viña-vardhanam. If you keep a snake and if you want to make friendly behavior with him, that, “My dear snake, don’t bite any more. I’ll give you milk and banana. You eat here and stay here nicely,” he’ll not... His poison will increase, and one day he will... There is a story in the Hitopadeça: one day, one... The same thing. So payaù-pänaà bhujaìgänäà kevalaà viña-vardhanam. So these are lessons, stories. So his father, Hiranyakasipu, became more and more angry. So one day... Because after all, son and father... The son was simple boy. So one day he said, “Prahläda, I shall now kill you. I shall see how your Kåñëa saves you.” So immediately, Prahläda was seeing to the pillars of the hall. He was king. So Hiraëyakaçipu asked him, “Is your God, Kåñëa, in the pillar?” He said, “Yes, sir. Yes, my father, He is there.” So immediately, with anger he broke the pillar and Nåsiàhadeva came out.
Now we can honor Him. (end)

"A tulasi leaf offered to the lotus feet of the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of murder. Water that has washed the lotus feet of the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of theft. Foodstuff offered to the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of drinking liquor. Sincere surrender to the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of adultery with the wife of the spiritual master. Association with the devotees of the Nrsimha shalagram sila destroys the sin of offenses to the devotees. This is the extraordinary glory of the Nrsimha shalagram sila."

[ Srila Rupa Goswami: Padyavali, Verse 116]

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http://narasimha.avatara.org/

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Mantras to Lord Narasimha
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Sri Narasimha Nakha Stuti:

The Nrisimha story