Boat pastime at Manasi Ganga
During the time of Krishna, Manasi Ganga was very big in size.
Once Srimati Radharani and Her friends came to the bank of Manasi Ganga to cross by boat.
They were carrying pots of yoghurt and other milk preparations to sell in Mathura.
The boatman agreed to take them across the water and they settled on a price of some sweets and butter.
The boatman rowed the boat for some time and then stopped. Srimati Radharani and the gopis asked him why he had stopped.
He told them that he was tired and hungry and could not go any further if they did not feed him, and so the gopis offered the boatman their milk products.
He ate everything then told them that he would take a nap and they should massage his arms and legs.
The gopis told him that if he did not keep rowing the boat they would throw him overboard, and so the boatman continued rowing.
After some time, however, he again stopped the boat, and the gopis again asked him why.
He told them,
“My boat is old and the water is coming in due to the weight it is carrying. You will have to throw some things overboard, otherwise we will sink!”
So the gopis threw their yogurt pots overboard. But still there was too much weight, and the boatman said,
“It is not enough. The water is still entering. You will have to surrender more to the waters of Manasi Ganga.”
So the gopis threw their heavy jewelry overboard.
Then a storm came.
The wind began to blow and the waves upset the boat.
At the same time, the boatman also started rocking the boat.
Radharani became frightened and put Her arms around the boatman.
At that time She realized that the boatman was Krishna.
Radharani then pulled Krishna’s flute from under His clothing and then all the gopis could understand that the boatman was Krishna Himself.
Kali-santarana Upanisad
1
At the end of Dvapara-yuga Narada approached Brahma and asked,
“O glorious one, how can I cross beyond the Kali-yuga as I wander over the earth?”
Brahma replied,
“The question you have asked me is excellent. Please listen to this answer, which is very confidential and contains the secret of all the Vedas, an answer that will enable you to transcend the world of birth and death in the age of Kali.
Simply by chanting aloud the mantra of the holy names of Lord Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one shakes away the age of Kali.”
2
Narada again asked,
“What is that holy name?”
Brahma replied,
“The sixteen words of the Hare Krishna mantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare,
are especially meant for counteracting the sins of the age of Kali.
To save oneself from the contamination of this age there is no alternative but to chant the Hare Krishna mantra.
After searching through all the Vedic literatures one cannot find a method of religion for this age so sublime as the chanting of Hare Krishna.
The sixteen words of the maha-mantra destroy the illusions that cover the conditioned soul.
This mantra makes the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself appear as the brilliant sun appears when a host of clouds are dispersed.”
3
Again Narada asked,
“O glorious one, what are the rules for chanting this mantra?”
Brahma replied,
“There are no rules.
Even if he is impure, a devotee who chants this mantra becomes pure. He attains the kinds of liberation known as salokya, samipya, sarupya and sayujya.
One who chants these sixteen names forty five million times becomes free of the sin of killing a brahmana.
He becomes free from the sin of killing a ksatriya.
He becomes purified of the sin of stealing gold.
He becomes purified of the sin of approaching a vrisali woman[1].
He becomes purified of the sin of insulting pitas, demigods, or human beings.
He is at once purified of the sin of abandoning all religious duties.
At once he becomes liberated.
Thus says the Upanisad[2].
The temple of Radha Damodara
May my head always very respectfully bow down to salute Vrindavana. May my tongue be enthusiastic to glorify its transcendental qualities. May my hands clean its newly blossoming groves. May my feet wander in Vrindavana. May my ears hear its glories. May my eyes gaze upon Vrindavana. May my mind always meditate upon Vrindavana[3].”
On this earth, Sri Vrindavana dhama is a replica of that supreme Goloka Vrindavana located in the spiritual sky. When Lord Krishna descends to this material world, His transcendental abode also descends, along with His entourage and most confidential friends.
For the benefit of us all, the Lord sported on that particular tract of land, performing transcendental pastimes with His eternal associates:
This tract of land… is considered to be the topmost place of pilgrimage in India. This land is sacred because Lord Krishna traveled through it many times. From the very beginning of His appearance, He was at Mathura in the house of His maternal uncle Kamsa and He was reared by His foster father Maharaja Nanda at Vrindavana. There are still many devotees of the Lord lingering there in ecstasy in search of Krishna and His childhood associates, the gopis. It is not that such devotees meet Krishna face to face in that tract of land, but for the devotees eagerly searching after Krishna, it is as good as seeing Him personally. How this is so cannot be explained, but it is factually realized by those who are pure devotees of the Lord. Philosophically, one can understand that Lord Krishna and His remembrance are on the absolute plane and that the very idea of searching for Him at Vrindavana in pure God consciousness gives more pleasure to the devotee than seeing Him face to face[4].
Sri Vrindavana dhama is situated ninety miles southeast of Delhi and comprises about eighty-four square miles in the district of Mathura, India.
There are over 5000 temples in Vrindavana.
Of all the temples in Vrindavana, ninety percent belong to the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, the follower of the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda, and seven are very famous[5].
Between the seven most important temples of Vrindavana, the Radha Damodara temple holds a very special position, for many reasons.
In 1516 Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana Goswamis arrived in the sacred land of Vraja.
Lord Chaitanya had ordered the two brothers to uncover the places of Sri Krishna’s pastimes in the holy Vrindavana that had disappeared over the centuries.
Srila Prabhupada once said:
“Vrindavana is the gift of Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis”.
Although wandering through Vrindavana’s many forests, living austerely and residing each night under a different tree, the Goswamis remained for short periods at selected places of Krishna’s lilas.
Sri Rupa Gosvami performed bhajan in Ter Kadamba (near Nandagram), Varsana, Radha Kunda and Seva Kunja.
Their bhajan kutirs were temporary arrangements like the hollow of a tree, under a thorny bush, or in an underground cave. In these austere, natural settings, Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami chanted Hari Nama and wrote the most exalted and sublime transcendental literature about the loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krishna.
In the year 1535 Jiva Gosvami arrived in Vrindavana and took shelter of Rupa Gosvami, considered the leading Gosvami.
He was welcomed by Santana Gosvami, Raghunath das Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Krishna das Kaviraj Gosvami, Prabodhananada Sarasvati and Kasisvara Pandit.
Jiva Gosvami proved his humility by rendering services like begging alms, cooking, washing Rupa’s feet and preparing manuscripts.
At that time there were no temples, only dense forests and Jiva and Rupa used to live together in the middle of Seva Kunj that was a large area.
Many Vaishnavas used to gather at Seva Kunj to hear Sri Rupa Gosvami explain the Gaudiya philosophy. Living together with the Goswamis were famous personalities like Lokanath das Gosvami, Subuddhi Raya, Raghava Pandit and others.
Rupa Gosvami was expert not only in philosophy and scholarship but also in astrology, mathematics and languages such as Sanskrit, Persian and Bengali.
He was also expert in drawing and carving and able to prepare Deities.
In 1542, during the month of Kartik, knowing Jiva Gosvami’s desire for a Deity, he personally carved, installed and offered a small Deity of Damodara (Krishna) to his dead disciple.
Before the large temples were built, the Goswamis worshiped their Deities simply, keeping them in the tree under which they slept.
After Sanatana Gosvami’s disappearance in 1558, Jiva Gosvami purchased the land of the area called Seva Kunj. He bought a plot for thirty rupees from Ali Kant Chaudari, Emperor Akbar’s local landlord.
The original deed kept at the Vrindavana Research Institute mentions that the area was located between Seva Kunj, Dan Gali, Imli Tala, Sringhar Sthali and Rasa Sthali.
Its boundaries were marked by four trees: tamarind, banyan, pipal and kadamba.
Jiva Gosvami directed Mansingh Raja of Ajmer in Rajasthan in constructing Radha Damodara Temple.
The opening date remains uncertain since only Radha Madan Mohan Temple (1580) and Radha Govindaji Temple (1590) have inscription dates denoting the year of completion.
On the altar there are four couples of Deities:
Radha Vrindavan Chandra worshiped by Krishna das Kaviraj Gosvami,
Radha Damodara worshiped by Jiva Gosvami,
Radha Madhava worshiped by Jayadeva Gosvami and
Radha Chalachikana of Bhugarbha Gosvami.
There is also a Govardhan shila called Giri Raja Charan Shila, that was worshiped by Sanatana Gosvami and was given to him by Krishna Himself. When Sanatana Gosvami was very old, it was difficult for him to circumambulate Govardhana Hill, so Krishna gave him this shila and told him if he would circumambulate the shila that would be just as good as going around Govardhana Hill.
The samadhis of Jiva Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami and Bhugarbha Gosvami are also here and the bhajan kutirs of Rupa Gosvami and Sri Abhay Caran Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
In 1670 Emperor Aurangzeb destroyed many temples of Vrindavan but Radha Damodara Temple was spared because Aurangzeb’s soldiers thought the simply designed temple was a private residence.
Due to the terror of the muslim attacks, the Deities were moved to Jaipur and replaced by “pratibhu” murtis, considered as good as the original ones.
Before Jiva Gosvami disappeared in 1608, he wrote his last will, leaving all the Deities, temples, properties and libraries that he had inherited from Sanatana, Rupa and Raghunath das Gosvami, to Sri Vilas das who was Jiva’s successor as the head priest of the Radha Damodara temple.
Krishna das succeeded Sri Vilas das and the present sevaite is directly coming from his descendants.
The interview
Sri Purnachandra Gosvami is a member of the family that perform seva in Radha Damodara Temple under the guidance of his elder brother, present sevaite Acharya Sri Kanik Prasad Gosvami.
Question:
“Since when your family is worshiping Radha Damodara”?
Purnachandra Gosvami:
“We are coming in the line of successors of Jiva Gosvami. Our family is doing seva since fifteen generations. You can see all the names in the sevaite parampara, near the samadhi of Jiva Gosvami”.
Question:
“In some books it is written that the original Deities were moved to Jaipur but after almost seventy years they were brought back to Vrindavana. Is it true? Are the present Deities here in Vrindavana the original ones?”
P.G.:
“Yes, it is right. The original Deities came back here. You can see that the original Deities of Madana Mohan and Govindaji are always bigger of their pratibhu murtis. The Radha Damodara Deities of Jaipur are smaller of These in Vrindavana. Here we have the original murtis.”
Q.:
“So, these four couple of murtis are all the original ones?”
P.G.:
“Yes, in Vrindavan Research Institute of Vrindavana you can find proof that the original Deities are here.
Question:
“Do you know some special story related to Radha Damodara Deities?”
P.G.:
“There are many examples of devotees that came here with problems and sufferings and after going in front of Radha Damodara and praying and crying they say they found their problem solved and their requests fulfilled. They offer some bhoga or maybe only prayers but after they come to us and then they say that the Deity has listened to them and helped them. We have so many stories!
My father Nirmalachandra Gosvami told us that when he was young there were many snakes that used to come to take darshan and never bite anybody. They were even hanging on the altar but they never caused any disturbance. Just coming for darshan and then go away.
When my father was very young, my grandfather (that invited Srila Prabhupada to live here) was becoming blind and was not able to do seva to Radha Damodara anymore. One day suddenly the pujari left, went away, and my grandfather told to my father that the day after he would have to do sringar and all the seva to the Deities. My father was little bit more than a child and felt unable to do anything.
But that night Krishna came in his dreams and explained exactly how to do seva the next morning. So the next morning he just went on the altar and did everything so nicely that all Vrajabhasis that came for darshan were astonished and wondering who could do such a beautiful sringar. And my father was crying.
There are so many stories! Damodara is very loving, very caring and very kind to the devotees. He always fulfills the desires of those who pray to Him…
Question:
“Vancha Kalpa taru”.
Purnacandra Gosvami:
” Yes, Vancha Kalpa taru….if you ask for health He will help you, and if you ask for prema bhakti He will give you.”
Question:
“Somebody told me that at the beginning the Seva Kunj property of the Temple was a very big area, but during the years your forefathers reduced it because they used to give pieces of land away just for very small donations.”
Sri Kanik Gosvami (just arrived):
“Yes! If somebody was coming and offering a small seva to Radha Damodara, he could receive a piece of land when desired. For some sweet rice our Damodar was reciprocating by giving land to whomever would ask for it.”
The qualities of a bonafide spiritual master
Question
Maharaja dandavat all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Can you recommend me some readings and verses about characteristics of a bonafide guru?
Here in Cancun there are so many cheaters and I would like to give a public class about it .. many people are looking for spirituality but fall with the wrong people and that is very sad.
YS Paramesvari dd
Answer
There surely are books on Guru Tattva but some of their siddhanta differ from Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and you, as an Iskcon preacher, may find yourself in an awkward position being questioned about them.
As far as the classic literature (Veda, Purana, Upanisad, etc.), as far as I know there are no books dedicated entirely and solely to the subject matter.
What is certain is that Srila Prabhupada speaks a lot on this topic, being Guru Tattva the most important.
I am collecting documents from many bonafide sources and as soon as possible I’ll publish a book.
As far as evident qualities of a spiritual master, there are many of them but three are the main ones.
First evidence:
1) He must be part of a legitimate sampradaya and parampara, and must be initiated by an authentic spiritual master (sad-guru).
There are four Sampradayas. Which are:
– Rudra Sampradaya
Suddha-dvaita-vada philosophy of pure non-dualism. Its founder was Visnusvami and renewed by Vallabhacharya (1481-1533).
– Sri Sampradaya
Visistadvaita-vada, unity philosophy in the organic whole founded by Ramanujacarya.
– Kumara Sampradaya
Philosophy Dvaitadvaita or Svabhavikha-bedhabheda founded by Nimbarka.
– Brahma Sampradaya
Philosophy Dvaita-Vedanta coming of Brahma and established by Madhvacharya.
One is considered part of a sampradaya not just on the basis of a formal initiation, but also on the condition that he follows and preaches its teachings. Otherwise his activities are considered apa-sampradaya, or deviant sampradaya and being part of it will give no spiritual benefit.
Bhagavad-gita 4.1 and 4.2 are evidences that this parampara system[6] is something created by Krishna Himself and therefore fundamental.
Second and third evidences are contained in a verse of the Mundaka Upanisad[7]:
tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
We are now interested in the last two words: srotriyam and brahma-nistham
Second evidence:
Srotriyam is someone who has listened attentively to the teachings of Guru, Sastra and Sadhu, part of a Sampradaya, and can now instruct others in the same way. A srotriyam is a vastly learned person on philosophy, history and other Vedic sciences. He must be able to answer on the basis of authorities like the above mentioned Guru, Sastra and Sadhu.
Someone who doesn’t know the answers or can’t prove his statements with sastric evidences is a false srotriyam.
Third evidence:
Brahma-nistham means fixed in transcendental consciousness. He is not interested in anything material but his only interest in life is to practice and to teach Krishna Consciousness. He must live as a pure devotee of the Lord.
These qualities are very evident and easily observable.
However, as Srila Prabhupada said, this material world is divided in two groups: the cheaters and the cheated.
Those who want to be cheated will not care about the qualities of a true spiritual master. Actually they are not looking for a Sad-guru but for some cheater who will tell them what they like to hear.
Aksobhya Tirtha
Birth
Akshobhya Tirtha (Akshobhya means “the undisturbed”) is part of an important group of little known spiritual masters in the vaisnava lineage.
The acaryas from Sripad Madhvacarya to Madhavendra Puri were a mystery for most of us. Fortunately, there are documents that exist on the lives and teachings of these great souls, and we will make a humble attempt to search them out and publish as much detail as possible for the benefit of humanity at large. Sri Aksobhya Tirtha is a logical beginning point because he is the Guru of one of the most important personalities of our line, Sri Jayatirtha.
From Sankaracarya to Madhvacarya
Aksobhya Tirtha was born in Karnataka, South India on 1238 DC. The documents in India are often given according to the Saka calendar, according to which the year of birth was 1159. Sakabda begins in 78 DC, so at the birthday of Aksobhya we must add 78 years. His birth name was Govinda Sastri.
Govinda was an intelligent young man and particularly attracted to philosophy. He began to study the popular monistic doctrine called Advaita-vada. Propounded by the great philosopher Sankaracarya, this doctrine based on the Upanishads concludes that there is no individuality on the spiritual platform and everything is one homogeneous consciousness which is the ultimate reality of existence.
When Govinda met Sripada Madhvacarya at Udupi, he could understand the superiority of the principles of Dvaita-vada, according to which there is a qualitative difference between the Supreme Soul and the individual soul. This understanding directly opposed Sankaracarya’s monistic viewpoint. Govinda renounced materialistic life and was initiated by one of Madhvacarya’s disciples, Madhava Tirtha.
Who gave initiation to Aksobhya?
Some documents claim that Aksobhya was initiated directly by Madhvacarya. The Vyasa-raja Matha claims that Padmanabha, Nrhari, Madhava and Aksobhya were all direct disciples of Madhvacarya.
However, the three previous Acaryas of our line (Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura) dispute this claim and state that Aksobhya was a disciple of Madhava Tirtha (not to be confused with Madhva).
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura says:
aksobhyas tasya sisyo
‘bhut tac-chisyo jayatirthakah
“Sri Madhava Vipra was a disciple of Sri Narahari, and Sri Aksobhya became the disciple of Madhava Vipra. Aksobhya’s disciple was Sri Jayatirtha[8].
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati says:
nhara madhava-bamse, aksobhya paramahamse, sisya boli ‘angikara kore aksobhyera sisya jaya-tirtha name paricaya, tara dasye jnanasindhu tore
“The other two main disciples of Madhva were Nrihari Tirtha and Madhava Tirtha. Madhava Tirtha accepted the great paramahamsa Aksobhya Tirtha as a disciple. The principal student of Aksobhya Tirtha was known as Jayatirtha, serving whom was the main purpose of Jnanasindhu’s life[9].
Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes:
“Padmanabha Acarya is the disciple of Madhvacarya, and Narahari[10] is the disciple of Padmanabha Acarya. Madhava is the disciple of Narahari, Aksobhya is the direct disciple of Madhava, and Jayatirtha is the disciple of Aksobhya[11].
Pejavara Math
Over the course of time, Aksobhya was appointed head of the Math of Pejavara and received from Madhvacarya the Deity of Aja-Vitthala. This form is Krishna standing with his hands on his hips, accompanied by Shri Devi and Bhudevi. It is also stated elsewhere that this Krishna Deity is accompanied by Rukmini and Satyabhama.
Aksobhya defeats Vidyaranya
Aksobhya Tirtha was a contemporary of the great advaitin philosopher Vidyaranya and the great exponent of Visistha-advaita, Vedanta Desika. Desika was the respected founder of the Vadakalai Movement. The name Desika means Master.
In 1336, Akshobhya Tirtha had a heated debate with Vidyaranya on the interpretation of the Upanishad mantra tattvam asi (“You’re the same” or “I am that”). This event took place in Mulbagal near Kolar, Karnataka.
If this date is accurate it would mean that Aksobhya Tirtha engaged in this debate at the age of 99.
The referee of the discussion was Vedanta Desika himself. Some say that he was personally present at the debate, while others say that Desika wanted all the arguments to be transcribed and then sent to him for consideration. What is certain is that the verdict was favorable to Akshobhya Tirtha.
The epigraphic evidence of this historic victory is engraved on a memorial pillar on a hill near Mulubagal, which can still be seen today.
This victory of the personalistic philosophy against the impersonalistic was a turning point for the Madhvacarya Movement. Even today, no advaitavadi can defeat the Dvaita (dualism) philosophy of the great master.
Akshobhya initiates Jayatirtha
After this event, Aksobhya Tirtha went to Pandharapur, on the banks of the Bhima-rathi River, where he met his future disciple Jaya Tirtha.
Jayatirtha, whose name before initiation was Dhondo Pantraya Raghunatha, was the son of Dhonduraya Raghunath, part of Visvamitra’s gotra. Gotra means descent. Others say that he was part of Bharadvaja’s line.
His father was a high-ranking military official and had two wives. Dhondho Pant (himself a valiant officer) was known to be always in military dress.
One evening he stopped his patrol near a river desiring to drink some flowing water. Seated atop his horse he entered the river and drank in an unusual way, with the water coming into his mouth, just as the animals do.
On the other side of the river there was Sri Akshobhya Tirtha who looked at the young man and said,
“kim pashuh purva-dehe”, “you drink just like an animal”.
These few words were heard by the rider and immediately put him in a state of mystical revelation. The transcendental power of the words of the saint opened a window in the mind of Dhondo Pant. At that point he remembered his previous life as the ox of Madhvacarya.
When traveling to teach philosophy, the great Acarya used an ox to carry his books. But this was not an ordinary animal because every time Madhvacarya spoke, the ox raised his ears to hear. He never missed a word and although in the body of an animal drank the essence of those words as if they were divine nectar.
Sripada Madhvacarya often glorified this ox by saying to the assembly that he was listening better and more deeply than his own sannyasis. Due to his attentive hearing of hari katha from the mouth of a mahabhagavat the ox made rapid spiritual advancement.
Madhvacarya’s accolade caused envy in the heart of some of his disciples and as a result they cursed the ox to die by the bite of a snake.
Madhvacarya learned of this curse and countered the curse with the blessing of being immune to the serpent venom. To the amazement of all present, when the serpent bit the ox, it was the snake that died instead.
Due to the kindness and power of Madhva, which was recognized by all his disciples, he felt obliged to repay the ox in this way for a lifetime of devoted service
After several years the ox died of natural causes and reincarnated as Dhondo Pant. In this new birth as Dhondo Pant, this jiva was blessed with the ability to remember everything he heard from Madhvacarya, so much so that in his mind he heard the sound of Madhvacarya’s voice explaining the Vedic mantras.
Conversation between Aksobhya and Jayatirtha
Recalling all this, Dhondho Pant realized that it was the potency of Aksobhya’s words which gave him the opportunity to remember who he was in his previous birth, much like Yada Bharat. Dhondho Pant asked Aksobhya to accept him as a disciple and to guide him on the path of spiritual fulfillment.
Over time, he was initiated with the name of Jayatirtha.
Aksobhya’s teachings to Jayatirtha
Sri Akshobhya Tirtha carefully taught the complex dualistic philosophy to his new disciple. Jayatirtha was a brilliant and dynamic intellectual so the time spent educating him was well invested.
Over time, Jayatirtha himself became a respected Acarya, so much so that he was designated “the second moon of Madhva” and “Tikacarya” for his numerous writings.
Akshobhya Tirtha taught him how to find the hidden meanings in Madhva’s words which evaded others grasp and how to write these concepts in a way that would soundly defeat impersonalist philosophy
Vyasa Tirtha, the 18th Acarya of the Guru’s descent who started from Visnu, wrote Jaya Tirtha Vijaya, where Akshobhya Tirtha’s victory over Vidyaranya was told.
He was the Acarya of Sri Madhva’s Movement for 15 years, from 1350 to 1365.
The Writings
Some historians argue that Akshobhya Tirtha wrote very little. It is said the only book he penned was called Madhva-tattva-sara-sangraha, which was lost over time. Even if that was true, Aksobhya remains an important character in Vaisnava history[12].
Samadhi
Sripada Akshobhya Tirtha’s samadhi lies on the banks of the Kagini River in a place called Malkeda in Karnataka. Malkheda is situated 40 km from the Gulbarga district. From Gulbarga, one can take a bus to Malkhed. It is located between Gulbarga and Sedam, 12 km from Sedam.
Parampara
- Krsna
- Brahma
- Narada
- Vyasa
- Madhva
- Padmanabha
- Nrhari
- Madhava
- Aksobhya
- Jaya Tirtha
- Jnanasindhu
- Dayanidhi
- Vidyanidhi
- Rajendra
- Jayadharma
- Purusottama
- Brahmanya Tirtha
- Vyasa Tirtha
- Laksmipati
- Madhavendra Puri
- Isvara Puri, (Nityananda, Advaita)
- Sri Caitanya
- Rupa, (Svarupa, Sanatana)
- Raghunatha, Jiva
- Krsnadasa
- Narottama
- Visvanatha
- (Baladeva) Jagannatha
- Bhaktivinoda
- Gaurakisora
- Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
- Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Narasimha story
Nrisimha Pranama
(1)
namas te narasiḿhāya
prahlādāhlāda-dāyine
hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣah-
śilā-ṭańka-nakhālaye
I offer my obeisances to Lord Narasimha, who gives joy to Prahlada Maharaja and whose nails are like chisels on the stone like chest of the demon Hiranyakasipu.
(2)
ito nṛsiḿhaḥ parato nṛsiḿho
yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiḿhaḥ
bahir nṛsiḿho hṛdaye nṛsiḿho
nṛsiḿham ādiḿ śaraṇaḿ prapadye
Lord Nrsimha is here and also there.
Wherever I go Lord Nrsimha is there. He is in the heart and is outside as well. I surrender to Lord Nrsimha, the origin of all things and the supreme refuge.
(3)
tava kara-kamala-vare
nakham adbhuta-śṛńgaḿ
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛńgam
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa
jaya jagadīśa hare
O Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one’s fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasp like demon Hiranyakasipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands.
The Appearance Day of Lord Nrsimhadeva
Ito Nrismhah parato nrsimho. Nrsimha is here, Nrsimha is there; above, below, in front, in back, in all corners, and everywhere else. Wherever I go, wherever I walk, and travel, I see Nrismha everywhere. He is in our heart, He is in the creepers and plants, and everywhere else. There is not a single place – even an atom – where He is not present.
Since He is everywhere, if you pray to Him to save you, He will come at once and save you as He saved Prahlada Maharaja from Hiranyakasipu. He will take away all of your problems, as He took away all the problems of Prahlada Maharaja. He quickly destroyed Prahlada’s demonic father, Hiranyakasipu, who had been given a boon of immortality. Hiranyakasipu was strong like iron. He was blessed not to die in the sky, by weapons, demons, humans, animals, fire, poison, or any other force of this world. Still, Nrsimhadeva killed him very quickly.
Nrismham adhim saranam prapadye.
We take shelter of Nrsimhadeva.
If you experience any difficulty or danger in your life, you can chant this mantra. Lord Nrismha surely will save you; He has come only to save you. You can test this. If you are very faithful to Him, as Prahlada Maharaja was faithful, He will take away all your difficulties in chanting, remembering, and becoming a pure devotee. He has come as the embodiment of Krsna’s mercy. So chant this mantra, especially today, and He will protect you from everything inauspicious.
Prahlada jaya jaya. Nrsimha jaya jaya, Nrsimha jaya jaya, Prahlada jaya jaya,
Nrsimhadeva is always greedy to help us. He wants to help us, but we don’t want His help.
Prahlada’s Mercy
It is rare to find anyone who has such faith, and love and affection, for Krsna, as Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada tried to teach his demonic father this beautiful truth.
naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo-‘bhisekam
niskincananam na vrrnita yavat[13]
“Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.”
Prahlada told his father that those in material consciousness are blind, and they are like dogs. Dogs think that they are intelligent, but they are not.
sri-prahlada uvaca
matir na krsne paratah svato va
mitho ‘bhipadyeta grha-vratanam
adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram
punah punas carvita-carvananam[14]
“Prahlada Maharaja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krsna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.”
Some dogs once found a dry bone, which had absolutely no juice. One of the dogs approached that bone, quickly grabbed it with his teeth, and ran away. He then looked back towards the other twenty dogs, who now began to pursue him in order to take that dry juiceless bone away from him. At last they all caught hold of him and began to viciously attack him.
That dog, now full of injuries and blood, gave up that bone. His tail going inside his legs, he watched from the sidelines as another dog, while trying to relish the bone, was also violently attacked.
We are like this. Our fathers and forefathers have tried to take the juice of material enjoyment from this world, tasting only dry bone. If you ask your grandfathers, who are eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old, if they are happy with their life’s accomplishments, they will all say, “No.”
When you ask, “Why not?”
they will reply, “I am now old. I can no longer enjoy the taste of wonderful foods because I cannot digest anything I eat. I am going to die. I am not happy.”
Ironically, their children consider, “Doing what we have seen our fathers and grandfathers do, we will now be very happy.”
Suppose a man thinks, “I will drink a great quantity of wine;” what will happen to him? He will become like a madman. He will faint and fall in a drain, at which time he will think, “I am sitting on a golden throne. I am the monarch of all.” Dogs will approach him, smell his body, and think, “What a good smell!” They will taste him with their tongues and thus wash his face. Thus, there is no real pleasure in worldly objects of enjoyment.
Prahlada Maharaja explained this truth to Hiranyakasipu, hearing which, Hiranyakasipu became furious and decided to kill him. Hiranyakasipu tried several methods to kill him, which all subsequently failed, and he concluded,
“I cannot kill him. I fear that my death will come from him. It is I who will die.”
Holika
Hiranyakasipu’s very dear sister named Holika approached him and said,
“My dear brother, why are you so anxious and worried? Can I help you?”
He replied,
“No one in this world can help me.”
Holika then said,
“I can help you. What do you want?”
He said,
“I want my son to be killed.”
She said,
“I can do this very easily. I performed severe austerities and received a benediction that I will not burn in fire. I now have this power, so I will bring that boy into a fire and he will burn very easily.”
Hiranyakasipu began to laugh and said,
“O sister, you have saved me.”
Holika replied,
“Yes. Tomorrow, you should arrange a heap of dry wood. I will then take that boy on my lap and sit on the heap of wood. Some ghee and oil should be poured on the wood, and at once the fire will go so high that in a minute he will be burned. I will then come out of the flames.”
The next morning, a very big heap of dry wood was brought and abundant ghee poured on it. Holika took Prahlada and said,
“My dear nephew, nephew, nephew; please come and sit on my lap. I will give you much milk to drink.”
She then sat comfortably in the midst of the dry wood, and took Prahlada Maharaja on her lap. At once a fire was started all around, and the flames very quickly created a great sound and began to touch the sky.
All the spectators watched as both Holika and Prahlada were covered by fire, and considered that they must both have been burned to death. Hiranyakasipu was quite satisfied, thinking that his sister would come to him laughing, and that Prahlada would be finished.
However, everyone present very soon saw Prahlada Maharaja walk out of the fire. Holika, on the other hand, was burned to ashes, never to return.
Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada,
“How were you saved?”
Prahlada replied,
“When I was sitting there, I saw my aunty burn within a moment. At the same time, someone came to me and clothed me in an ice-like covering. I was easily saved, but I was so worried for my dead aunty.”
Hiranyakasipu’s fury rose.
Prahlada’s teachers
Prahlada’s teachers, the two sons of the depressed Hiranyakasipu’s guru, drew near Hiranyakasipu and asked him,
“Why are you worried? You have conquered the entire world. You have conquered air, fire, all five elements. You can easily fly in the air, and you can take a thunderbolt and defeat Indra. So why are you worried? Wait a little. Our father will soon come and solve this problem.
Prahlada was again sent to school.
Then, one day the teachers, desirous to engage in some household jobs, told him,
“Prahlada, you should be the monitor and see that the other children do not do anything wrong. The boys can be somewhat naughty, so you must control them. We will return soon.”
Prahlada began teaching his fellow students about Krsna consciousness, but the boys initially resisted with the excuse that they would take up Krsna consciousness in their old age. They told Prahlada that now was the time to play.
Prahlada replied,
“We may die at an early age. We may even die when we are seven, eight, nine, or ten. If you die at a young age, you will not become old.”
“In order to marry and become happy with family, and in order to nourish and support one’s children, a person thinks,
“I will build a first-class house and make a very beautiful garden. I will have strong, beautiful dogs, and I will enjoy.’”
“This is a waste of time. We don’t want to suffer, but suffering comes to us by our past births’ impressions. We don’t want to become old, but old age also comes. If you have performed any pious activity in the past, your present happiness will come automatically. Maintenance of your life, your good wife, good children, and everything else will come automatically. Since happiness comes automatically as a result of our past lives’ activities, why are you making so many efforts to become happy? Why not chant Krsna’s name and remember Him from the beginning of life?”
Prahlada continued,
“Now you are boys of three, four, five, six, and seven years of age. Now you are free from worldly entanglements and your hearts are like plain sheets of paper, without anything written there. Later, when you mature, you may marry a beautiful lady. At that time, if you want to leave this world to perform bhajana, she will weep. How will you be able to give up such a beautiful, qualified wife?”
“Moreover, if you also have some children, beautiful sons or daughters, you will be engaged in serving them. Even if you try to give them up, you will not be able to do so. If the children call out to you in their sweet voices and broken language, ‘Father, Father, Father,’ how will you ever be able to give them up? You will think, ‘I must support all these children. They are babies and cannot do anything. If I give up my household life, they will all die.’
You may also lament,
“Oh, my beautiful dog and cow can’t live without me.”
Suppose you make a good garden with many trees and flowers, and later you decide to give it up to associate with devotees to chant and remember Krsna. You will then consider, ‘Who will take care of this garden if I leave? All the flowers will die.’ You will not be able to leave.”
Prahlada continued,
“It is better that you chant and remember Krsna from childhood, when you are free from all these worldly entanglements.”
All the students were inspired, but at the same time they had some doubt.
“We accept that what you are telling is true,” they said. “Now we have great faith in you; but we want to know where you learned all these truths. You always remain within the palace, where it is very difficult to associate with any great personality.”
Prahlada tells his story
With a view to removing the doubts of his classmates, Prahlada said,
“Some time ago, when my father was angry with Lord Visnu for killing his brother, Hiranyaksa, He began to consider,
‘My brother has been killed by Varahadeva, an incarnation of Visnu. If I take revenge against Visnu now, he will surely kill me. So, I should first become immortal.’
He began to perform severe austerities at Mandaracala Mountain, where he fully fasted from eating and drinking. He fasted even from dry leaves, and even water and air, for 60,000 years. He entered into a trance, and was thus oblivious to the fact that his body had been eaten by ants and only his bones remained.”
In Satya-yuga, one’s life could reside in one’s bones, without the rest of the body. Nowadays, if we do not eat anything we will die in two or three days, but at that time it was different.
“In the meantime the demigods became worried. In Hiranyakasipu’s absence, therefore, the demigods, headed by King Indra, made an attempt to subdue all the demons in warfare. A great battle ensued between the demons and demigods, wherein the generals of Hiranyakasipu were smashed. The victorious demigods plundered my father’s palace and destroyed everything within it. Then Indra, King of heaven, arrested my mother, the Queen, planning to take her to a heavenly planet.”
The demigods considered that Prahlada was probably a demon, like his father, so they planned to kill him as soon as he would take birth from his mother’s womb. In the meantime, the sage Narada was coming from heaven and asked them,
“Why are you doing such nonsense? You are demigods and you are taking a lady in this way? She cannot fight with you, so why are you taking her? Moreover, there is a great devotee in her womb.”
Prahlada continued,
“When the great saint Narada Muni spoke thus, King Indra immediately released my mother. Because of my being a devotee of the Lord, all the demigods circumambulated her. Then, after they left for their celestial kingdom, Narada brought my mother to his asrama, assured her of all protection, and taught me, within her womb, the truths of bhakti.”
Further Teachings of Prahlada
Prahlada continued:
“We can never be happy by our material activities. No one has ever become happy by such engagement. If you want to be happy in life, go to an expert guru and at once take initiation and a spiritual name from him. Then, under his guidance, try to follow the rules and regulations of devotion.”
guru-susrusaya bhaktya
sarva-labdharpanena ca
sangena sadhu-bhaktanam
isvararadhanena ca
sraddhaya tat-kathayam ca
kirtanair guna-karmanam
tat-padamburuha-dhyanat
tal-lingeksarhanadibhih[15]
“One must accept the bonafide spiritual master and render service unto him with great devotion and faith. Whatever one has in one’s possession should be offered to the spiritual master, and in the association of saintly persons and devotees one should worship the Lord, hear the glories of the Lord with faith, glorify the transcendental qualities and activities of the Lord, always meditate on the Lord’s lotus feet, and worship the Deity of the Lord strictly according to the injunctions of the sastra and guru.”
The boys told Prahlada,
“This seems very difficult. We cannot do these things.”
Prahlada replied:
sarvesam api bhutanam
harir atmesvarah priyah
bhatair mahadbhih sva-kataih
krtanam jiva-samjnitah[16]
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is the soul and the Supersoul of all living entities. Every living entity is a manifestation of His energy in terms of the living soul and the material body. Therefore the Lord is the most dear, and He is the supreme controller.”
Prahlada assured his classmates,
“There is nothing difficult in chanting Krsna’s names, remembering Him, and engaging in devotional activities for His pleasure. We are eternal servants of God, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore devotional service is our natural activity. We must accept that Krsna is our holy master, father, mother and all other relations. After going to a guru and receiving initiation, we then begin to learn spiritual activities and develop to the exalted stage of uttama-bhakti (the topmost pure devotion). Guru will tell us everything about how to advance in devotion.”
Nine main kinds of bhakti
Guru will tell us that there are sixty-four kinds of bhakti, among which nine are prominent:
sri-prahlada uvaca
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
iti pumsarpita visnau
bhaktis cen nava-laksana
kriyeta bhagavaty addha
tan manye ‘dhitam uttamam[17]
“Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Visnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) – these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.
One who has dedicated his life to the service of Krsna through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.”
Five most important kinds of bhakti
Among these nine kinds of bhakti, five are most important:
sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana[18].
“One should associate with devotees,
chant the holy name of the Lord,
hear Srimad-Bhagavatam,
reside at Mathura and
worship the Deity with faith and veneration.”
Amongst all devotional activities, if one is not committing offenses and is touched by any of the five limbs – chanting the holy name, being in the association of a qualified Vaisnava or guru, worshiping the Deity very faithfully, living in a holy place like Vrindavana, and hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam – he can attain all success.
sakala-sadhana-srestha ei panca anga
krsna-prema janmaya ei pancera alpa-sanga[19]
“These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Krsna.”
The most important kind of bhakti
The most important among all the limbs of bhakti, which is also the root of bhakti, is harinama-sankirtana.
tara madhye sarva-srestha nama-sankirtana
niraparadhe nama laile paya prema-dhana[20]
“Of the nine processes of devotional service, the most important is to always chant the holy name of the Lord. If one does so, avoiding the ten kinds of offenses, one very easily obtains the most valuable love of Godhead.”
Prahlada told the boys,
“We should begin harinama-sankirtana today.”
The boys asked,
“How can we do this? Do we have to be experts in playing musical instruments? Do we have to bring any instruments?”
Prahlada replied,
“There is no need. Krsna has given us the very beautiful karatalas (hand cymbols) of our hands. We can clap our hands. Krsna has also given us our tongue and mouth to sing in a sweet voice.”
Prahlada Maharaja then instructed them,
“Repeat after me.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare,”
The boys told Prahlada,
“We are tired. We want something easier. This is so long. We want an easy kirtana.”
Prahlada told them,
“Repeat after me again: ‘Haribol, haribol, haribol.’”
The boys all blissfully engaged with Prahlada in harinama sankirtana.
Is He in this pillar?
After some time Hiranyakasipu overheard what was taking place. Grabbing Prahlada’s hands, he demanded:
sri-hiranyakasipur uvaca
he durvinta mandatman
kula-bheda-karadhama
stabdham mac-chasanodvrttam
nesye tvadya yama-ksayam[21]
“O most impudent, most unintelligent disruptor of the family, O lowest of mankind, you have violated my power to rule you, and therefore you are an obstinate fool. Today I shall send you to the place of Yamaraja.”
Hiranyakasipu said,
“What nonsense are you doing?! You are so disobedient! You are like a dull stone, with no intelligence at all. I am from an aristocratic dynasty. You have become like the handle of an axe that is trying to chop down my entire dynasty. I will teach you a lesson! I am now going to kill you! Let us see who will save you now!”
“My son Prahlada, you rascal, you know that when I am angry all the planets of the three worlds tremble, along with their chief rulers. By whose power has a rascal like you become so impudent that you appear fearless and overstep my power to rule you?[22]
“Prahlada Maharaja said:
My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahma, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”[23]
Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada Maharaja,
“Where is your Lord? Is He present in this pillar?”
Prahlada Maharaja fearlessly replied,
“Yes, my Lord is present everywhere.”
satyam vidhatum nija-bhrtya-bhasitam
vyaptim ca bhutesv akhilesu catmanah
adrsyatatyadbhuta-rupam udvahan
stambhe sabhayam na mrgam na manusam[24]
“To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlada Maharaja was substantial – in other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hall – the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion.”
To convince Hiranyakasipu that the statement of Prahlada Maharaja was unmistakably true, the Lord appeared from the pillar, with flames emanating from His mane. By manifesting His form as Nrsimhadeva, the Lord also preserved the truth of Lord Brahma’s promise that Hiranyakasipu was not to be killed by any animal or any man. The Lord appeared in a form that could not be said to be fully a man or a lion. He was extremely angry, and no one could pacify Him. Brahma, Sankara, and all other demigods present became worried regarding how to pacify Him.
Narasimha Deva blesses Prahlada
After offering Him their beautiful prayers of glorification from a little afar, they requested Laksmi-devi,
“Please go and pacify your husband.”
She replied,
“Today I am afraid to go. He may also kill me.”
Next they requested Brahma,
“You should go; He is like your father.”
Brahma replied,
“Today, I cannot go.”
Then they told Lord Siva,
“You are a friend of Krsna. You should go.”
Siva replied,
“Today we are not at all friends.”
Finally, Brahma requested Prahlada,
“You should go. He is like your father.”
Prahlada Maharaja immediately went to Lord Nrsimhadeva and jumped upon His lap. Nrsimhadeva at once became pacified and tears fell from His eyes. He had been so angry; but now, in a moment, He was fully pacified. He began licking Prahlada Maharaja, as animals do, and said,
“I came so late, and I am upset about that. I want to give you a benediction.”
Prahlada replied,
“I am not a businessman. I do not perform devotional service to You in order for You to give me something in return. This is business. If any desire is hiding somewhere in my heart, please remove it so that I can become your pure devotee. You have asked me to take a benediction. That makes me think there may be some material desire hidden in my heart – but I don’t know where it is hidden.”
Lord Nrsimhadeva said,
“I know that you are pure; you never require anything. Still, I desire that you take any benediction.”
Prahlada Maharaja replied,
“If You insist that I take a benediction, I desire that You deliver my father. He has offended You and me, and he has given great troubles to all the devotees. He has cut down all the green trees so that no one would be able to get any wood or fruit. He killed many cows so that no one would be able to get milk, ghee, and butter to be used for devotional activities like homas, fire sacrifices, and offering of bhoga to the Lord. He has also killed so many brahmanas, and in this way he has committed innumerable sins. Please forgive him.”
Lord Nrsimhadeva said,
“Don’t worry about this at all. Your father has already been liberated. In fact twenty-one generations of your forefathers will be liberated.”
For the uttama-adhikari, twenty-one generations – forward and back – will be liberated.
Regarding those who are madhyama-adhikari, who are always chanting, remembering and performing devotional activities, their relatives of fourteen generations will be liberated.
Regarding those who are kanistha-adhikari, who are chanting, and remembering, who have taken initiation and are trying to engage in pure harinama and other devotional activities but cannot properly do so, seven generations of their relatives will be liberated.
“I want to give you a benediction. My darsana should not go in vain.”
Prahlada replied,
“All these conditioned souls, who have forgotten You and who are engaged in many sinful activities are greatly suffering. I cannot tolerate their suffering. I desire that my pious and devotional activities be given to them, so that they may be liberated and become devotees. I want to take all the fruits of their sinful activities and suffer for them for millions of births.”
Nrsimhadeva said,
“In this conversation, you have won and I am defeated. I am giving you the benediction that all persons who hear the hari-katha about Myself and yourself – the pastimes of Prahlada Maharaja and Nrsimhadeva – will be quickly liberated. They will not have to suffer.”
Ten subjects of Srimad-Bhagavatam
“‘Here ten subjects are described:
(1) the creation of the ingredients of the cosmos,
(2) the creations of Brahma,
(3) the maintenance of the creation,
(4) special favor given to the faithful,
(5) impetuses for activity,
(6) prescribed duties for law-abiding men,
(7) a description of the incarnations of the Lord,
(8) the winding up of the creation,
(9) liberation from gross and subtle material existence, and
(10) the ultimate shelter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The tenth item is the shelter of all the others. To distinguish this ultimate shelter from the other nine subjects, the mahajanas have described these nine, directly or indirectly, through prayers or direct explanations.[25]
These verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam[26] list the ten subject matters dealt with in the text of the Bhagavatam. Of these, the tenth is the substance, and the other nine are categories derived from the substance. These ten subjects are listed as follows:
(1) Sarga: the first creation by Visnu, the bringing forth of the five gross material elements, the five objects of sense perception, the ten senses, the mind, the intelligence, the false ego and the total material energy, or universal form.
(2) Visarga: the secondary creation, or the work of Brahma in producing the moving and unmoving bodies in the universe (brahmanda).
(3) Sthana: the maintenance of the universe by the Personality of Godhead, Visnu. Visnu’s function is more important and His glory greater than Brahma’s and Lord Siva’s, for although Brahma is the creator and Lord Siva the destroyer, Visnu is the maintainer.
(4) Posana: special care and protection for devotees by the Lord. As a king maintains his kingdom and subjects but nevertheless gives special attention to the members of his family, so the Personality of Godhead gives special care to His devotees who are souls completely surrendered to Him.
(5) Uti: the urge for creation, or initiative power, that is the cause of all inventions, according to the necessities of time, space and objects.
(6) Manvantara: the periods controlled by the Manus, who teach regulative principles for living beings who desire to achieve perfection in human life. The rules of Manu, as described in the Manu-samhita, guide the way to such perfection.
(7) Isanukatha: scriptural information regarding the Personality of Godhead, His incarnations on earth and the activities of His devotees. Scriptures dealing with these subjects are essential for progressive human life.
(8) Nirodha: the winding up of all energies employed in creation. Such potencies are emanations from the Personality of Godhead who eternally lies in the Karana Ocean. The cosmic creations, manifested with His breath, are again dissolved in due course.
(9) Mukti: liberation of the conditioned souls encaged by the gross and subtle coverings of body and mind. When freed from all material affection, the soul, giving up the gross and subtle material bodies, can attain the spiritual sky in his original spiritual body and engage in transcendental loving service to the Lord in Vaikunthaloka or Krishnaloka. When the soul is situated in his original constitutional position of existence, he is said to be liberated. It is possible to engage in transcendental loving service to the Lord and become jivan-mukta, a liberated soul, even while in the material body.
(10) Asraya: the Transcendence, the summum bonum, from whom everything emanates, upon whom everything rests, and in whom everything merges after annihilation. He is the source and support of all. The asraya is also called the Supreme Brahman, as in the Vedanta-sutra (athato brahma jijnasa, janmady asya yatah[27]). Srimad-Bhagavatam especially describes this Supreme Brahman as the asraya. Sri Krishna is this asraya, and therefore the greatest necessity of life is to study the science of Krishna.
Srimad-Bhagavatam accepts Sri Krishna as the shelter of all manifestations because Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate source of everything, the supreme goal of all.
Two different principles are to be considered herein—namely asraya, the object providing shelter, and asrita, the dependents requiring shelter.
The asrita exist under the original principle, the asraya. The first nine categories, described in the first nine cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam, from creation to liberation—including the purusa-avataras, the incarnations, the marginal energy, or living entities, and the external energy, or material world—are all asrita. The prayers of Srimad-Bhagavatam, however, aim for the asraya-tattva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Krishna. The great souls expert in describing Srimad-Bhagavatam have very diligently delineated the other nine categories, sometimes by direct narrations and sometimes by indirect narrations such as stories.
The real purpose of doing this is to know perfectly the Absolute Transcendence, Sri Krishna, for the entire creation, both material and spiritual, rests on the body of Sri Krishna[28].
[1] A sudra woman, low class.
[2] Note: Kalisantarana Upanisad is a section of the Yajur Veda.
[3] From Sri Vrindavana mahimamrita
[4] Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.1.24 purport.
[5] Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 5.232 purport
[6] Knowledge is passed down from Guru to disciples.
[7] 1.2.12
[8] Jaiva Dharma, first part: Pramana, Evidence, and Prameya, Truth, by Bhaktivinode Thakura
[9] From Sri Guru-parampara, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
[10] Also known as Nrhari
[11] Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi-lila 6.40, purport
[12] BNK Sharma 1961. History of the Dvaita of Vedanta School, page 229.
[13] Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.32
[14] Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.5.30
[15] Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.7.30-31
[16] Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.7.49
[17] Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.5.23-24
[18] Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila, 22.128
[19] Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila, 22.129
[20] Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila, 4.71
[21] Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.8.5
[22] Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.8.6
[23] Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.8.7
[24] Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.8.17
[25] Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Adi-lila 2.91-92
[26] 2.10.1–2
[27] Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.1
[28] Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Adi-lila 2:91-92, purport.
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