Çré Pärçva Ekädaçé Issue no:193 07th September 2022 The DuTy Of A hOusehOlDer The Universal Form Srila Sukadeva Goswami The real BeneFiT in liFe His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Circulaton 33,110 The relaTionship oF The Gåhastha-Bhakta To saàsära Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura The DUTy oF a hoUseholDer Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura insTrUcTions To The hoUseholDer anD The renUncianT Srila Jagadananda Pandita
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The Universal Form Srila Sukadeva Goswami Sukadeva Gosvami said: O Maharaja Pariksit, the priest of the Yadu dynasty, namely Garga Muni, who was highly elevated in austerity and penance, was then inspired by Vasudeva to go see Nanda Maharaja at his home. When Nanda Maharaja saw Garga Muni present at his home, Nanda was so pleased that he stood up to receive him with folded hands. Although seeing Gar ga Muni with his eyes, Nanda Maharaja could appreciate that Garga Muni was adhokñaja; that is, he was not an ordinary person who could be seen by material senses. When Garga Muni had been properly received as a guest and was very comfortably seated, Nanda Maharaja submitted with gentle and submissive words: Dear sir, because you are a devotee, you are full in every thing. Yet my duty is to serve you. Kindly order me. What can I do for you?) O my lord, O great devotee, persons like you move from one place
Garga Muni said: My dear Nanda Maharaja, I am the priestly guide of the Yadu dynasty. This is known everywhere. Therefore, if I perform the purificatory process for your sons, Kamsa will consider Them the sons of Devaki. Kamsa is both a great diplomat and a very sinful man. Therefore, having heard from Yoga-mäyä, the daughter of Devaki, that the child who will kill him has already been born somewhere else, having heard that the eighth pregnancy of Devaki could not bring forth a female child, and having understood your friend ship with Vasudeva, Kamsa, upon hearing that the purificatory process has been performed by me, the priest of the Yadu dynasty, may certainly consider all these points and suspect that Krishna is the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Then he might take steps to kill Krishna. That would be a catastrophe.
Nanda Maharaja said: My dear great sage, if you think that by performing this process of purifica tion you will make Kamsa suspicious, then secretly chant the Vedic hymns and perform the purifying process of second birth here in the cow shed of my house, without the knowledge of anyone else, even my relatives, for this process of purification is essential.
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Having thus been especially requested by Nanda Maharaja to do that which he already desired to do, Garga Muni performed the name-giving ceremony for Krishna and Balarama in a solitary place.
Garga Muni said: This child, the son of Rohini, will give all happiness to His relatives and friends by His transcendental qualities. Therefore, He will be known as Rama. And because He will manifest
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O Nanda Maharaja, as recorded in history, when there was an irregular, incapable government, Indra having been dethroned, and people were being harassed and disturbed by thieves, this child appeared in order to protect the people and enable them to flourish, and He curbed the rogues and thieves. Demons [asuras] cannot harm the demi-gods, who always have Lord Visnu on their side. Similarly, any person or group attached to Krishna is extremely fortunate. Because such persons are very much affectionate toward Krishna, they cannot be defeated by demons like the associates of Kamsa [mataphorically our inter nal enemies, the senses]. In conclusion, therefore, O Nanda Maharaja, this child of yours is as good as Narayana. In His transcendental qualities, op ulence, name, fame and influence, He is exactly like Narayana. You should all raise this child very carefully and cautiously. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami continued: After Garga Muni, having instructed Nanda Maharaja about Krishna, departed for his own home, Nanda Maharaja was very pleased and considered himself full of all good fortune.
After a short time passed, both brothers, Rama and Krishna, began to crawl on the ground of Vraja with the strength of Their hands and knees and thus enjoy Their childhood play. When Krishna and Balarama, with the strength of Their legs, crawled in the muddy places created to another not for their own interests but for the sake of poor-hearted gåhasthas [house-holders]. Otherwise they have no interest in going from one place to another. O great saintly person, you have compiled the astrological knowledge by which one can understand past and present unseen things. By the strength of this knowledge, any human being can understand what he has done in his past life and how it affects his present life. This is known to you. My lord, you are the best of the brähmaëas, especially because you are fully aware of the jy otiù-çästra, the astrological science. Therefore, you are naturally the spiritual master of every human being. This being so, since you have kindly come to my house, kindly execute the reformatory activities for my two sons.
extraordinary bodily strength, He will also be known as Bala. Moreover, because He unites two families; Vasudeva’s family and the family of Nanda Maharaja, He will be known as Sankarsana. Your son Krishna appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past, He assumed three differ ent colours white, red and yellow and now He has appeared in a blackish colour. [In another Dväpa ra-yuga, He appeared as Lord Ramacandra in the colour of çuka, a parrot. All such incarnations have now assembled in Krishna.] For many reasons, this beautiful son of yours sometimes appeared previously as the son of Vasudeva. Therefore, those who are learned sometimes call this child Vasude va. For this son of yours there are many forms and names according to His transcendental qualities and activities. These are known to me, but people in general do not understand them. To increase the transcendental bliss of the cowherd men of Gokula, this child will always act auspiciously for you. And by His grace only, you will surpass all difficulties.
“When the milk and yoghurt are kept high on a swing hanging from the ceiling and Krishna and Balarama cannot reach it, They arrange to reach it by piling up various planks and turning upside down the mortar for grinding spices. Being quite aware of the contents of a pot, They poke holes in it. While the elderly gopés go about their house hold affairs, Krishna and Balarama sometimes go into a dark room, brightening the place with the valuable jewels and ornaments on Their bodies and taking advantage of this light by stealing.
“Our dear friend Yasoda, your son sometimes comes to our houses before the milking of the cows and releases the calves, and when the master of the house becomes angry, your son merely smiles. Sometimes He devises some process by which He steals palatable yoghurt, butter and milk, which He then eats and drinks. When the monkeys assemble, He divides it with them, and when the monkeys have their bellies so full that they won’t take more, He breaks the pots. Some times, if He gets no opportunity to steal butter or milk from a house, He will be angry at the householders, and for His revenge He will agitate the small children by pinching them. Then, when the children begin crying, Krishna will go away.
“When Krishna is caught in His naughty activi ties, the master of the house will say to Him, ‘Oh, You are a thief,’ and artificially express anger at Krishna. Krishna will then reply, ‘I am not a thief. You are a thief.’ Sometimes, being angry, Krishna passes urine and stool in a neat, clean place in our houses. But now, our dear friend Yasoda, this expert thief is sitting before you like a very good boy.” Sometimes all the gopés would look at Krishna sitting there, His eyes fearful so that His mother would not chastise Him, and when they saw Krishna’s beautiful face, instead of chastising Him they would simply look upon His face and enjoy transcendental bliss. Mother Yasoda would mildly smile at all this fun, and she would not want to chastise her blessed transcendental child.
One day while Krishna was playing with His small playmates, including Balarama and other sons of the gopas, all His friends came together and lodged a complaint to mother Yasoda. “Moth er,” they submitted, “Krishna has eaten earth.” Upon hearing this from Krishna’s playmates, mother Yasoda, who was always full of anxiety over Krishna’s welfare, picked Krishna up with her hands to look into His mouth and chastise Him. Her eyes fearful, she spoke to her son as
Top left 4 in Vraja by cow dung and cow urine, Their crawl ing resembled the crawling of serpents, and the sound of Their ankle bells was very charming. Very much pleased by the sound of other people’s ankle bells, They used to follow these people as if going to Their mothers, but when They saw that these were other people, They became afraid and returned to Their real mothers, Yasoda and Rohini. Dressed with muddy earth mixed with cow dung and cow urine, the babies looked very beautiful, and when They went to Their mothers, both Yasoda and Rohini picked Them up with great affection, embraced Them and allowed Them to suck the milk flowing from their breasts. While sucking the breast, the babies smiled, and Their small teeth were visible. Their mothers, upon seeing those beautiful teeth, enjoyed great transcendental bliss. Within the house of Nanda Maharaja, the cowherd ladies would enjoy seeing the pastimes of the babies Rama and Krishna. The babies would catch the ends of the calves’ tails, and the calves would drag Them here and there. When the ladies saw these pastimes, they certainly stopped their household activities and laughed and enjoyed the incidents. When mother Yasoda and Rohini were unable to protect the babies from calamities threatened by horned cows, by fire, by animals with claws and teeth such as monkeys, dogs and cats, and by thorns, swords and other weapons on the ground, they were always in anxiety, and their household engagements were disturbed. At that time, they were fully equipoised in the transcendental ecstasy known as the dis tress of material affection, for this was aroused within their minds.
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O King Pariksit, within a very short time both Rama and Krishna began to walk very easily in Gokula on Their legs, by Their own strength, without the need to crawl. Thereafter, Lord Krishna, along with Balarama, began to play with the other children of the cowherd men, thus awakening the transcendental bliss of the cowherd women. Observing the very attractive childish restlessness of Krishna, all the gopés in the neighborhood, to hear about Krishna’s activities again and again, would approach mother Yasoda and speak to her as follows.
Lord Sri Krishna replied: My dear mother, I have never eaten dirt. All My friends complaining against Me are liars. If you think they are being truthful, you can directly look into My mouth and examine it. Mother Yasoda challenged Krishna, “If You have not eaten earth, then open Your mouth wide.” When challenged by His mother in this way, Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja and Yaso da, to exhibit pastimes like a human child, opened His mouth. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, who is full of all plenitudes, did not wish to disturb His mother’s parental affection, His opulence was automatically displayed, for Krishna’s opulence is never lost at any stage; rath er it is appropriately manifest at the proper time. When Krishna opened His mouth wide by the order of mother Yasoda, she saw within His mouth all moving and non-moving entities, outer space, and all directions, along with mountains, islands, oceans, the surface of the earth, the blowing wind, fire, the moon and the stars. She saw the planetary systems, water, light, air, sky, and creation by trans formation of material ego (ahaìkära). She also saw the senses, the mind, sense perception, and the three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. She saw the time allotted for the living entities, she saw natural instinct and the reactions of karma, and she saw desires and different varieties of bodies, moving and non-moving. Seeing all these aspects of the cosmic manifestation, along with herself and Vrndavana-dhama, she became doubtful and fear ful of her son’s nature. [Mother Yasoda deliberated within herself:] Is this a dream, or is it an illusory creation by the external energy? Has this been manifested by my own intelligence, or is it some mystic power of my child? Therefore, let me sur render unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offer my obeisances unto Him, who is beyond the conception of human speculation, the mind, activities, words and arguments, who is the original cause of this cosmic manifestation, by whom the entire cosmos is maintained, and by whom we can conceive of its existence. Let me simply offer my obeisance, for He is beyond my contemplation, speculation and meditation. He is beyond all of my material activities. It is by the influence of the Supreme Lord’s mäyä that I am wrongly thinking that Nanda Maharaja is my husband, that Krish na is my son, and that because I am the queen of Nanda Maharaja, all the wealth of cows and calves are my possessions and all the cowherd men and their wives are my subjects. Actually, I also am eternally subordinate to the Supreme Lord. He is my ultimate shelter. Mother Yasoda, by the grace of the Lord, could understand the real truth. But then again, the supreme master, by the influence of the internal potency, Yoga-mäyä, inspired her to become absorbed in intense maternal affection for her son. Immediately forgetting Yoga-mäyä’s illusion that Krishna had shown the universal form within His mouth, mother Yasoda took her son on her lap as before, feeling increased affection in her heart for her transcendental child. The glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are studied through the three Vedas, the Upaniñads, the liter ature of Säìkhya-yoga, and other Vaiñëava literature, yet mother Yasoda considered that Supreme Person her ordinary child.
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follows. Dear Krishna, why are You so restless that You have eaten dirt in a solitary place? This complaint has been lodged against You by all Your playmates, including Your elder brother, Balarama. How is this?
Sukadeva Gosvami said: To follow the orders of Lord Brahma, Drona, the best of the Vasus, along with his wife, Dhara, spoke to Lord Brahma in this way. Drona and Dhara said: Please permit us to be born on the planet earth so that after our appearance, the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller and master of all planets, will also appear and spread devotional service, the ultimate goal of life, so that those born in this material world may very easily be delivered
Having heard of the great fortune of mother Yasoda, Pariksit Maharaja inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami: O learned brähmaëa, mother Yasoda’s breast milk was sucked by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What past auspicious activities did she and Nanda Maharaja perform to achieve such perfection in ecstatic love? Although Krishna was so pleased with Vasudeva and Devaki that He descended as their son, they could not enjoy Krish na’s magnanimous childhood pastimes, which are so great that simply chanting about them van quishes the contamination of the material world. Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda, however, enjoyed these pastimes fully, and therefore their position is always better than that of Vasudeva and Devaki.
Nanda Maharaja could understand that Garga Muni had come for this purpose and that his own duty now was to act according to Garga Muni’s advice. Thus he said, “Please tell me what is my duty.” This should be the attitude of everyone, especially the householder. The varëäçrama so ciety is organized into eight divisions: brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, çüdra, brahmacarya, gåhastha, vänaprastha and sannyäsa. Nanda Maharaja repre sented himself as gåhiëäm, a householder. A brahmacäré factually has no needs, but gåhé, household ers, are engaged in sense gratification. As stated in Bhagavad-gétä (2.44), bhogaiçvarya-prasaktänäà tayäpahåta-cetasäm. Everyone has come to this ma terial world for sense gratification, and the position of those who are too attached to sense gratification and who therefore accept the gåhastha-äçrama is very precarious. Since everyone in this material world is searching for sense gratification, gåhasthas are required to be trained as mahat, great mahät mäs. Therefore Nanda Maharaja specifically used the word mahad-vicalanam. Garga Muni had no interest to serve by going to Nanda Maharaja, but Nanda Maharaja, as a gåhastha, was always perfectly ready to receive instructions from a mahätmä to
- Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum Bonum » Chapter Eight » Verses; 1-52, Translation by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The real BeneFiT in liFe His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada When Krishna comes to this material world He has no needs, for He is pürëa, (complete) and ätmäräma (self-satisfied). Nonetheless, He descends to this material world to protect the devotees and vanquish miscreants (pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm). This is the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His devotees also have the same mission. One who executes this mission of para-upakära, performing welfare activi ties for people in general, is recognized by Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as being very, very dear to Him (na ca tasmän manuñyeñu kaçcin me priya-kåttamaù). Similarly, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised this para-upakära, and He has especially advised the inhabitants of India: bhärata-bhümite haila manuñya-janma yära janma särthaka kari' kara para-upakära “One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhärata-varña] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.” (Cc. Ädi 9.41) On the whole, the duty of a pure Vaiñëava devotee is to act for the welfare of others.
Issue no 193, Page — 6 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org from the miserable condition of materialistic life by accepting this devotional service. When Brahma said, “Yes, let it be so,” the most fortune Drona, who was equal to Bhagavan, appeared in Vrajapura, Vrndavana, as the most famous Nanda Maharaja, and his wife, Dhara, appeared as mother Yasoda. Thereafter, O Maharaja Pariksit, best of the Bhära tas, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead became the son of Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda, they maintained continuous, unswerving devotional love in parental affection. And in their association, all the other inhabitants of Vrndavana, the gopas and gopés, developed the culture of Krishna-bhakti. Thus, the Supreme Personality, Krishna, along with Balarama, lived in Vrajabhumi, Vrndavana, just to substantiate the benediction of Brahma. By exhibiting different pastimes in His childhood, He increased the transcendental pleasure of Nanda and the other inhabitants of Vrndavana.
The relaTionship oF The Gåhastha-Bhakta To saàsära Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 193, Page—7 www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya gain the real benefit in life. Thus he was ready to execute Garga Muni’s order.
- Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum Bonum » Chapter Eight » Verse; 4, Purport by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Those who are thusly submerged in saàsära are called sense enjoyers (viñayé).
“The conditioned soul exploits this material na ture through the five doors of the knowledge-gathering senses. With his eyes, he sees form and co lour, and with his ears, he hears sounds. He smells with his nose, tastes with his tongue, and feels and touches with his skin. With these five senses, he probes this world and develops attachment to it. The more he is attracted to matter, the further he moves away from the sweet Lord of the heart, Sri Krishna. This is known as the enchanting external phantasmagoria of materialistic life (saàsära).
However, when the Lord’s devotee is situated in household life, he does not abandon himself to sensual cravings like the viñayé. He takes his dharma-patné, wife as a partner in realizing nitya-dhar ma, as a maidservant of Krishna and his sons and daughters are also seen as the servitors of Krishna. His eyes seek fulfilment in seeing the Lord’s De ity form and other paraphernalia connected to Krishna. His ears yearn to be satisfied by hearing Krishna conscious topics about the Lord and His devotees. He exults in smelling the fragrance of Tulasi leaves and buds, scents, and flowers offered to Krishna. His tongue relishes uttering harinäma and tasting the delicious food offered to Krishna. He experiences divine ecstasy by touching the feet of the Vaiñëavas. His ambitions and hopes, activities, desires, hospitality, and worship of the devas are all carried out as a part of his main pursuit, rendering devotional service to Krishna. His entire life is a joyous festival, consisting of compassion towards all living entities, chanting harinäma, and serving the Vaiñëavas. To enjoy material pleasures without attachment is only possible in the household life of the Lord’s devotees. For the jévas in Kali-yuga, it is most suitable to become gåhastha-bhaktas for then there is no fear of falling down and full spiritual advancement is definitely achievable.
Yadava dasa, “Gåhastha-Vaiñëavas have to remain under the regulations of the smartas, the karma-käëòé brähmaëas, otherwise they face problems in society. How can they cultivate pure devotion (çuddha-bhakti) under these circumstances?”
Ananta dasa Babaji, “Gåhastha-Vaiñëavas have to conform to certain social conventions such as viväha, Vedic marriage of sons and daughters; çräddha, offering oblations to departed parents; and so on. However, they are not required to perform
Yadava dasa, “Kindly describe in a detailed manner the relationship of the householder devotee (gåhastha-bhakta) to his family home (saàsära)” Ananta dasa Babaji, “A person who just builds a house and lives in it is not necessarily a true gåhastha. To be a gåhastha one must accept a suitable wife by marriage, and establish a household—both items according to the Vedic rules and regulations. A person practicing bhakti situated in such a manner is a gåhastha-bhakta.
Many highly intelligent and self-realized gurus have been amongst the gåhastha-Vaiñëavas. If their hereditary descendants also become pure Vaiñëavas, then they are also gåhastha-bhaktas whose association is most beneficial to humanity.”
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To please the Supreme Lord, the householder devotees should associate with and serve the spiritual master and living saints with love and devotion. This will enable them to become spiritual householders. If householders do not associate, serve, and discuss about both the book Bhägavata and the devotee Bhägavata, they cannot attain auspiciousness. They should live at home with the resolution, “I will serve Krishna with all respect.” Otherwise their household life, devoid of Hari’s service, will lead them to hell.
If family life is favourable to the cultivation of Krishna consciousness, then it is acceptable and praiseworthy. If however, it unfavourable, then family life, which is compared to a dark well, should be rejected. There is no difference between devotees living at home or at the Maöha, because in either case they are constantly engaged in the Lord’s service.
One should live at home only to serve Krishna under the guru’s guidance. The householders should refrain from eating too much or accu mulating more than he needs. He should not over-endeavor, gossip, become overly attached to following the rules and regulations, associate with non-devotees, or be greedy. He must also maintain his enthusiasm, confidence, determination, patience, taste for hearing and chanting Hari’s holy name, and firmness in service to guru and Krishna.
- Jaiva-dharma » Chapter Seven Nitya-dharma and Saàsära, Material Exis tence, Translated by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Int. & Sarvabhavana dasa
But one should not confuse the life of an attached householder with the life of a devotee who lives at home. By serving and associating with pure dev otees who have made guru and Krishna their life and soul, attachment for family life and material existence is destroyed. There is no way to become free of family attachment without sincerely serving the spiritual master.
“As one can understand, one has to admit depen dence upon external things in order to maintain and care for the material body. Even those who claim to be nirapekña, detached, have to accept this dependence. When a person is sick or suffers great pain, he must take medicine. Furthermore, he must procure food and eat when hungry, arrange for clothing against the chill, build a roof against the sun and rain, and so on. Such necessities are normal for the embodied soul, and he is dependent upon them. The real meaning of being detached is to factually reduce this dependence. However, as long as the material body is present, it is impossible to be totally independent of material needs. Still, at the same time, the reduction of material necessities is certainly conducive to devotional surrender and progress.“Ifaperson is able to dovetail all the above-men tioned activities with Krishna’s service, then the inherent imperfections are rectified. For example, a person should not marry with the express in tention of expanding his dynasty, ostentatiously worshipping Prajapati, the deva of progeny. Rather, he should think that he is accepting Krishna’s maidservant as his life-partner to establish a Krishna conscious family. Such resolutions are favourable to bhakti. Materialistic relatives, priests, and others may offer their advice, but ultimately a person accrues the result of his own vows and resolution.
“A gåhastha-bhakta will observe çräddha by giving Krishna-prasädam to the departed soul as piëòa, ob lations, and feed and offer charity to Vaiñëava-bräh maëas—this is spiritually beneficial to him. When the devotional practices of bhakti are integrated with the smarta rituals, then the negative fruitive results are removed. On account of including the Vaiñëava activities of çuddha-bhakti, there will be no hindrance on the path of bhakti. Social dealings should be conducted dispassionately and with detachment, while spiritual activities must be exe cuted in sädhu-saìga. Then all these performances are pruned of their imperfections. Just observe that the majority of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pärña da, eternal associates, are gåhastha-bhaktas. Since the dawn of history, many devotees who were räjarñi, saintly kings; devas, demigods; and åñés, philosophers, were gåhastha-bhaktas. You must understand that gåhastha-bhaktas are universally worshipable.”
A householder has no business indulging in illicit sex, in becoming overly attached to his wife, or in becoming henpecked. He should give up bad
The DUTy oF a hoUseholDer Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
kämya-karma, fruitive activities for the purpose of materialistic ambitions.
Very soon you will be favoured by the most trea sured object: love of Godhead! The Supreme Lord has appeared in Nadia only to freely distribute this priceless treasure. I, the argumentative Jagai, am Lord Gauranga's servant. With tears in my eyes, I request and pray to the devotees to please take shelter of the holy name and chant constantly.
!! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !! BhägavataISKCONMahävidyalaya is a branch of International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
- Prema-Vivarta - Srila Jagadananda Pandita, Translated by Sarvabhavana dasa
insTrUcTions To The hoUseholDer anD The renUncianT Srila Jagadananda Pandita Lord Gauranga instructed both the householder and the renunciant: “O brothers! Take care that not a moment passes without chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna.” Following multiple rules and spiritual practices are not necessary for advance ment in devotional service. Simply take complete shelter of the holy name and in this way purify your heart and consciousness.
- Amåta Väëé: Nectar of Instructions of Immoratality His Di vine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada Compiled by Sripada Bhakti Mayukha Bhagavat Maharaja Adapted and Pub lished by Isvara dasa Translated from Bengali by Bhumipati das
©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective artists. association and tolerate the urges of speech, mind, anger, tongue, belly, and genitals. A householder should not only refrain from sinful activities but should also avoid the pious activities that are unfavourable to devotional service. By engaging in sinful activities he will definitely not be able to serve Hari. The desire to accumulate piety will also block his worship. A householder devotee must not become indifferent to the service of Hari, guru, and the Vaiñëavas on the pretext of chanting the holy name. This is nothing but cheating, and it will lead to greater feelings of family attachment rather than devotion. Unless the living entity serves guru and Krishna, he or she cannot develop love of God. A householder should always try to assist those devotees who are constantly engaged in Krishna’s service.
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Founder-Acarya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Editor Brajsundar Das Copy Editor Isha Prakash Das Sanskrit Editor, Vrajsevika Devi Dasi Assistance Vamsidhari Gauri Devi Dasi
Out of compassion for the conditioned souls, the Supreme Lord Krishna descended to this material world in the form of His holy name. And now to show special mercy to the living entities of Kali-yuga, Lord Krishna has also advented as Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Those who serve the dear associates of Lord Caitanya with a sincere and innocent heart, will certainly receive the shelter of Lord Krishna's lotus feet. Seek the association of Lord Gauranga's devotees and chant the glories of Lord Gauranga. Chant the mahä-mantra (Hare Krishna) and dance in ecstasy.