Srila Prabhupada Pastimes:64-Disciples desire to go with Srila Prabhupada in Car

Ambarish : Another time we were coming back from the morning walk. Getting back in the car was always chaotic, because everybody would run around trying to figure out who was going to go in which car. Everybody wanted to go with Prabhupada. Harikesh was Prabhupada's secretary and he was running from one side of the car to the next with all of this tape recording stuff all over him. I was sitting in the back seat of the car with Prabhupada, watching this whole thing. Prabhupada shook his head and said, "My disciples are a little crazy, I think." So it was nice. He accepted us although we were all so unqualified to do what we were doing. Simply by his mercy we were able to carry on and accomplish a few things. 

Another time, the temple president in Hawaii was trying to sell Prabhupada the idea of buying a sailboat and going from island to island. He said, "Prabhupada, all we need is twelve good men." Srila Prabhupada immediately replied, "We do not have twelve good men in all of ISKCON." I took it that we were totally unqualified, and to a degree we still are. But he still accepted us and accepted our service, which was really nice.

Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 2
Author: Siddhanta Dasa

Deity Pastimes:17: Jagannath Goes for a walk

Lord Jagannath goes for walks 

Before we had this temple, the old temple was under the nearby mixed banyan and pepul-tree, and the local people living in the first house here said that Lord Jagannatha would go for walks, they never actually saw Him, but they could hear Him, especially Saturday nights. 

They would see a glow coming from the temple and sweet scent would permeate the air. They could hear jingling sounds, like that of ankle bells. Those fortunate residents understood that the independent Lord was taking stroll.

Jagannath swami ki Jai....

Daily Reading: Caitanya Caritamrita page-129

CC Ādi 4.7

pūrve yena pṛthivīra bhāra haribāre
kṛṣṇa avatīrṇa hailā śāstrete pracāre

Translation: 

The scriptures proclaim that Lord Kṛṣṇa previously descended to take away the burden of the earth.

CC Ādi 4.8

svayaṁ-bhagavānera karma nahe bhāra-haraṇa
sthiti-kartā viṣṇu karena jagat-pālana

Translation: 

To take away this burden, however, is not the work of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The maintainer, Lord Viṣṇu, is the one who protects the universe.

CC Ādi 4.9

kintu kṛṣṇera yei haya avatāra-kāla
bhāra-haraṇa-kāla tāte ha-ila miśāla

Translation: 

But the time to lift the burden of the world mixed with the time for Lord Kṛṣṇa’s incarnation.

Purport: 

We have information from the Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord appears at particular intervals to adjust a time-worn spiritual culture. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared at the end of Dvāpara-yuga to regenerate the spiritual culture of human society and also to manifest His transcendental pastimes. Viṣṇu is the authorized Lord who maintains the created cosmos, and He is also the principal Deity who makes adjustments when there is improper administration in the cosmic creation. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being the primeval Lord, appears not in order to make such administrative adjustments but only to exhibit His transcendental pastimes and thus attract the fallen souls back home, back to Godhead.

However, the time for administrative rectification and the time for Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s appearance coincided at the end of the last Dvāpara-yuga. Therefore when Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared, Viṣṇu, the Lord of maintenance, merged with Him because all the plenary portions and parts of the absolute Personality of Godhead merge with Him during His appearance.

Daily Reading: Srimad Bhagavatam page-129

SB 1.5.31

yenaivāhaṁ bhagavato
 vāsudevasya vedhasaḥ
māyānubhāvam avidaṁ
 yena gacchanti tat-padam

Translation: 

By that confidential knowledge, I could understand clearly the influence of the energy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything. By knowing that, one can return to Him and personally meet Him.

Purport: 

By devotional service or by the most confidential knowledge, one can understand very easily how the different energies of the Lord are working. One part of His energy is manifesting the material world; the other (superior) part of His energy is manifesting the spiritual world. And His intermediate energy is manifesting the living entities who are serving either of the above-mentioned energies. The living entities serving material energy are struggling hard for existence, and happiness, which is presented to them as illusion. But those in the spiritual energy are placed under the direct service of the Lord in eternal life, complete knowledge and perpetual bliss. The Lord desires, as He has directly said in the Bhagavad-gītā, that all conditioned souls, rotting in the kingdom of material energy, come back to Him by giving up all engagements in the material world. This is the most confidential part of knowledge. But this can be understood only by the pure devotees, and only such devotees enter the kingdom of God to see Him personally and serve Him personally. The concrete example is Nārada himself, who attained this stage of eternal knowledge and eternal bliss. And the ways and means are open to all, provided one agrees to follow in the footsteps of Śrī Nārada Muni. According to śruti, the Supreme Lord has unlimited energies (without effort by Him), and these are described under three principal headings, as above mentioned.

Daily Reading: Bhagvad Gita As it is- Page-129

Bg 3.33

sadṛśaṁ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ
prakṛter jñānavān api
prakṛtiṁ yānti bhūtāni
nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati

Translation: 

Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?

Purport: 

Unless one is situated on the transcendental platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot get free from the influence of the modes of material nature, as it is confirmed by the Lord in the Seventh Chapter (7.14). Therefore, even for the most highly educated person on the mundane plane, it is impossible to get out of the entanglement of māyā simply by theoretical knowledge, or by separating the soul from the body. There are many so-called spiritualists who outwardly pose as advanced in the science but inwardly or privately are completely under particular modes of nature which they are unable to surpass. Academically, one may be very learned, but because of his long association with material nature, he is in bondage. Kṛṣṇa consciousness helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even though one may be engaged in his prescribed duties in terms of material existence. Therefore, without being fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should not give up his occupational duties. No one should suddenly give up his prescribed duties and become a so-called yogī or transcendentalist artificially. It is better to be situated in one’s position and to try to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness under superior training. Thus one may be freed from the clutches of Kṛṣṇa’s māyā.

Srila Prabhupada Vani #484

#484-Srila Prabhupada explains-Sanatan dharma means no repetition of birth and death-in his lecture-CDM-031-1

Please click the below to hear the audio
https://drive.google.com/open?id=11odv3-ktmUGWXmjv7a0AeIM-bzwTf-7L

Srila Prabhupada Vani #483

#483-Srila Prabhupada explains-How destruction takes place-In his lecture-CDM-031-1

Please click the below to hear the audio
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cGLUIQ2hEDXTyPvv3x77T6eYfspSgPMb

Daily Reading: Caitanya Caritamrita page-128

CC Ādi 4.4

mūla-ślokera artha karite prakāśa
artha lāgāite āge kahiye ābhāsa

Translation: 

Just to explain the original verse, I shall first suggest its meaning.

CC Ādi 4.5

caturtha ślokera artha ei kaila sāra
prema-nāma pracārite ei avatāra

Translation: 

I have given the essential meaning of the fourth verse: this incarnation [Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu] descends to propagate the chanting of the holy name and spread love of God.

CC Ādi 4.6

satya ei hetu, kintu eho bahiraṅga
āra eka hetu, śuna, āche antaraṅga

Translation: 

Although this is true, this is but the external reason for the Lord’s incarnation. Please hear one other reason — the confidential reason — for the Lord’s appearance.

Purport: 

In the third chapter, fourth verse, it has been clearly said that Lord Caitanya appeared in order to distribute love of Kṛṣṇa and the chanting of His transcendental holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That was the secondary purpose of Lord Caitanya’s appearance. The real reason is different, as we shall see in this chapter.

Daily Reading: Srimad Bhagavatam page-128

SB 1.5.30

jñānaṁ guhyatamaṁ yat tat
 sākṣād bhagavatoditam
anvavocan gamiṣyantaḥ
 kṛpayā dīna-vatsalāḥ

Translation: 

As they were leaving, those bhakti-vedāntas, who are very kind to poor-hearted souls, instructed me in that most confidential subject which is instructed by the Personality of Godhead Himself.

Purport: 

A pure Vedāntist, or a bhakti-vedānta, instructs followers exactly according to the instructions of the Lord Himself. The Personality of Godhead, both in the Bhagavad-gītā and in all other scriptures, has definitely instructed men to follow the Lord only. The Lord is the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything. The whole manifested creation is existing by His will, and by His will when the whole show is finished He will remain in His eternal abode with all His paraphernalia. Before the creation He was there in the eternal abode, and after the annihilation He will continue to remain. He is not, therefore, one of the created beings. He is transcendental. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that long, long before the instruction was imparted to Arjuna, the same was instructed to the sun-god, and in course of time, the same instruction, being wrongly handled and being broken, was again instructed to Arjuna because he was His perfect devotee and friend. Therefore, the instruction of the Lord can be understood by the devotees only and no one else. The impersonalist, who has no idea of the transcendental form of the Lord, cannot understand this most confidential message of the Lord. The expression “most confidential” is significant here because knowledge of devotional service is far, far above knowledge of impersonal Brahman. Jñānam means ordinary knowledge or any branch of knowledge. This knowledge develops up to the knowledge of impersonal Brahman. Above this, when it is partially mixed with devotion, such knowledge develops to knowledge of Paramātmā, or the all-pervading Godhead. This is more confidential. But when such knowledge is turned into pure devotional service and the confidential part of transcendental knowledge is attained, it is called the most confidential knowledge. This most confidential knowledge was imparted by the Lord to Brahmā, Arjuna, Uddhava, etc.

Daily Reading: Bhagvad Gita As it is- Page-128

Bg 3.31

ye me matam idaṁ nityam
anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ
śraddhāvanto ’nasūyanto
mucyante te ’pi karmabhiḥ

Translation: 

Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

Purport: 

The injunction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the essence of all Vedic wisdom and therefore is eternally true without exception. As the Vedas are eternal, so this truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also eternal. One should have firm faith in this injunction, without envying the Lord. There are many philosophers who write comments on the Bhagavad-gītā but have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. They will never be liberated from the bondage of fruitive action. But an ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma. In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Bg 3.32

ye tv etad abhyasūyanto
nānutiṣṭhanti me matam
sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāṁs tān
viddhi naṣṭān acetasaḥ

Translation: 

But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.

Purport: 

The flaw of not being Kṛṣṇa conscious is clearly stated herein. As there is punishment for disobedience to the order of the supreme executive head, so there is certainly punishment for disobedience to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A disobedient person, however great he may be, is ignorant of his own self, and of the Supreme Brahman, Paramātmā and the Personality of Godhead, due to a vacant heart. Therefore there is no hope of perfection of life for him.

Srila Prabhupada Vani #482

#482- Srila Prabhupada explains-Without supreme being there cannot be any creation-in his lecture-CDM-031-1

Please click the below to hear the audio

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gBPSCBz16Nwp_GgBmG_WYmKXne_NTfI8

Daily Reading: Caitanya Caritamrita page-127

Ādi 4: The Confidential Reasons for the Appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

CC Ādi 4.1

śrī-caitanya-prasādena
tad-rūpasya vinirṇayam
bālo ’pi kurute śāstraṁ
dṛṣṭvā vraja-vilāsinaḥ

Translation: 

By the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu even a foolish child can fully describe the real nature of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the enjoyer of the pastimes of Vraja, according to the vision of the revealed scriptures.

Purport: 

One can ascertain the meaning of this Sanskrit śloka only when one is endowed with the causeless mercy of Lord Caitanya. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being the absolute Personality of Godhead, cannot be exposed to the mundane instruments of vision. He reserves the right not to be exposed by the intellectual feats of nondevotees. Notwithstanding this truth, even a small child can easily understand Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental pastimes in the land of Vṛndāvana by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

CC Ādi 4.2

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Translation: 

All glory to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glory to Lord Nityānanda! All glory to Śrī Advaita Ācārya! And all glory to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!

CC Ādi 4.3

caturtha ślokera artha kaila vivaraṇa
pañcama ślokera artha śuna bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: 

I have described the meaning of the fourth verse. Now, O devotees, kindly hear the explanation of the fifth verse.

Daily Reading: Caitanya Caritamrita page-125

CC Ādi 3.111

tvaṁ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja
āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puṁsām
yad yad dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti
tat tad vapuḥ praṇayase sad-anugrahāya

Translation: 

“O my Lord, You always dwell in the vision and hearing of Your pure devotees. You also live in their lotuslike hearts, which are purified by devotional service. O my Lord, who are glorified by exalted prayers, You show special favor to Your devotees by manifesting Yourself in the eternal forms in which they welcome You.”

Purport: 

This text from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.9.11) is a prayer by Lord Brahmā to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa for His blessings in the work of creation. Knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be understood from the descriptions of the Vedic scriptures. For example, the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.29) describes that in the abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which is made of cintāmaṇi (touchstone), the Lord, acting as a cowherd boy, is served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. Māyāvādīs think that the devotees have imagined the form of Kṛṣṇa, but the authentic Vedic scriptures have actually described Kṛṣṇa and His various transcendental forms.

The word śruta in śrutekṣita-pathaḥ refers to the Vedas, and īkṣita indicates that the way to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead is by proper study of the Vedic scriptures. One cannot imagine something about God or His form. Such imagination is not accepted by those who are serious about enlightenment. Here Brahmā says that one can know Kṛṣṇa through the path of properly understanding the Vedic texts. If by studying the form, name, qualities, pastimes and paraphernalia of the Supreme Godhead one is attracted to the Lord, he can execute devotional service, and the form of the Lord will be impressed in his heart and remain transcendentally situated there. Unless a devotee actually develops transcendental love for the Lord, it is not possible for him to think always of the Lord within his heart. Such constant thought of the Lord is the sublime perfection of the yogic process, as the Bhagavad-gītā confirms in the sixth chapter (47), stating that anyone absorbed in such thought is the best of all yogīs. Such transcendental absorption is known as samādhi. A pure devotee who is always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the person qualified to see the Lord.

One cannot speak of Urugāya (the Lord, who is glorified by sublime prayers) unless one is transcendentally elevated. The Lord has innumerable forms, as the Brahma-saṁhitā confirms (advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam). The Lord expands Himself in innumerable svāṁśa forms. When a devotee, hearing about these innumerable forms, becomes attached to one and always thinks of Him, the Lord appears to him in that form. Lord Kṛṣṇa is especially pleasing to such devotees, in whose hearts He is always present because of their highly elevated transcendental love.