Ambrosia

Expressions researched:
"ambrosia" |"ambrosial"

SB Canto 8

This wonderful act performed by the Lord was meant to show that nectar is miraculous ambrosia.

SB 8.9.25, Translation and Purport:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, using His disc, which was sharp like a razor, at once cut off Rāhu's head. When Rāhu's head was severed from his body, the body, being untouched by the nectar, could not survive.

When the Personality of Godhead, Mohinī-mūrti, severed Rāhu's head from his body, the head remained alive although the body died. Rāhu had been drinking nectar through his mouth, and before the nectar entered his body, his head was cut off. Thus Rāhu's head remained alive whereas the body died. This wonderful act performed by the Lord was meant to show that nectar is miraculous ambrosia.

"If one engages in My transcendental loving service but at the same time wants the opulence of material enjoyment, he is very, very foolish. Indeed, he is just like a person who gives up ambrosia to drink poison."

SB 8.16.21, Purport:

"Kṛṣṇa says, 'If one engages in My transcendental loving service but at the same time wants the opulence of material enjoyment, he is very, very foolish. Indeed, he is just like a person who gives up ambrosia to drink poison. Since I am very intelligent, why should I give this fool material prosperity? Instead I shall induce him to take the nectar of the shelter of My lotus feet and make him forget illusory material enjoyment.' " If a devotee maintains some material desire and at the same time very sincerely desires to engage at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa may directly give him unalloyed devotional service and take away all his material desires and possessions. This is the Lord's special favor to devotees. Otherwise, if one takes to Kṛṣṇa's devotional service but still has material desires to fulfill, he may become free from all material desires, as Dhruva Mahārāja did, but this may take some time. However, if a very sincere devotee wants only Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, Kṛṣṇa directly gives him the position of śuddha-bhakti, unalloyed devotional service.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 21.137, Translation:

"My dear Sanātana, the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa's personality is just like an ocean of ambrosia. Although My mind is now afflicted by convulsive diseases and I wish to drink that entire ocean, the repressive physician does not allow Me to drink even one drop."

The gopīs wanted to drink the ocean of sweetness arising from the bodily features of Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa did not allow them to come near. Consequently their desire to meet Kṛṣṇa increased, and being unable to drink the ambrosia of Kṛṣṇa's bodily features, they became very unhappy.

CC Madhya 21.137, Purport:

When there is a combination of kapha, pitta and vāyu, the three bodily elements, there occurs sannipāti, or a convulsive disease. Lord Caitanya said, "This disease of Mine is caused by the personal features of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The three elements are the beauty of Kṛṣṇa's body, the beauty of His face, and the beauty of His smile. Stricken by these three beauties, My mind goes into convulsions. It wishes to drink the ocean of Kṛṣṇa's beauty, but because I am undergoing convulsions, My physician, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, does not even allow Me to take a drop of water from that ocean." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was ecstatic in this way because He was presenting Himself in the mood of the gopīs. The gopīs wanted to drink the ocean of sweetness arising from the bodily features of Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa did not allow them to come near. Consequently their desire to meet Kṛṣṇa increased, and being unable to drink the ambrosia of Kṛṣṇa's bodily features, they became very unhappy.

CC Madhya 22.38, Translation:

Kṛṣṇa says, "If one engages in My transcendental loving service but at the same time wants the opulence of material enjoyment, he is very, very foolish. Indeed, he is just like a person who gives up ambrosia to drink poison."

CC Madhya 23.121, Translation:

"The conclusions that You have told me are the ocean of the ambrosia of truth. My mind is unable to approach even a drop of that ocean."

Nectar of Instruction

Nectar of Instruction 9, Translation:

The holy place known as Mathurā is spiritually superior to Vaikuṇṭha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurā—Purī is the transcendental forest of Vṛndāvana because of Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vṛndāvana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Yes, nectar, ambrosia. Amṛta, amṛta. Amṛta means spiritual.

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 2, 1974, Bombay:

Girirāja: Garuḍa put some nectar on the tree to preserve it.

Prabhupāda: Yes, nectar, ambrosia. Amṛta, amṛta.

Girirāja: Is it spiritual?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Amṛta means spiritual. (break) But this grief is for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is spiritual.

Dr. Patel: The gopīs became in grief when Kṛṣṇa went away.

Prabhupāda: Center is Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Patel: I want to read this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam five times in one year.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. You read it. You will be benefitted. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalam: There is no black spot. Amalaṁ purāṇam. Yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priya...

Dr. Patel: I have read all the modern literatures... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. Even there is some broken language, abaddhavat api. Abaddha, not systematized. Because there is explanation, nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni, therefore śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. Sadhu, they do not take care of this. They see what is the bhava there.

If one mistakes that this is the pot of nectarean, ambrosia, then what is the result? Nānā yoni sadā phire: "He remains within the cycle of birth and death."

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, bhakti does not depend on jñāna, but jñāna depends on bhakti. Without bhakti, one cannot get liberation simply by jñāna. But if one develops bhakti, automatically he gets jñāna. Karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa, kevala viṣera bhāṇḍa. Viṣera bhāṇḍa, amṛta baliyā yebā khāya. If one mistakes that this is the pot of nectarean, ambrosia, then what is the result? Nānā yoni sadā phire: "He remains within the cycle of birth and death." Nānā yoni sadā phire, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. And if he gets the body of a hog and dog, then he eats all the abominable things. Nānā yoni, tāra janma adhah-pāte yāya. So he condemns his human form of body in this way, spoils. So one should not be attached to karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

And this means that ambrosia. And you are all Mohinī-mūrti, distributing ambrosia.

Letter from Yugoslavia--'Books!' -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śatadhanya: Nectarean.

Prabhupāda: And this means that ambrosia. And you are all Mohinī-mūrti, distributing ambrosia. These scriptures should be brought to the (indistinct) system, and they'll get opportunity to meet with them. So how...?

So dead body, you take poison or ambrosia, it is the same. Blind man, night or day—the same thing. Rather, if you depend on miracle, pray to Kṛṣṇa that "He may survive.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So my body is now dead according to medical point. You cannot give life. So let it be doomed. It is not possible from medical point of view to give life to a dead body. What is this? It is dead body.

Upendra: Prasādam has come, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So you can for the time being, disperse. Let me... Whatever possible, I'll take. Then you come and chant.

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...taking poison. The body is already finished.

Upendra: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said, "If you think I'm taking poison, that the body is already finished."

Prabhupāda: So dead body, you take poison or ambrosia, it is the same. Blind man, night or day—the same thing. Rather, if you depend on miracle, pray to Kṛṣṇa that "He may survive."

1970 Correspondence

All these newses are to me life-giving ambrosia, so the more you open branches, the more I increase my duration of life.

Letter to Sridama -- Los Angeles 10 April, 1970:

I am very glad that you are going to marry Manmohini Dasi and I have got my full sanction and blessings for this unity. Nanda Kisora and his wife and yourself and your wife, four together, organize the center in Providence which is already wonderful and by your propaganda of Krsna Consciousness it will be heavenly.

As soon as a center is open and my disciples conduct it nicely, it gives me Vaikuntha bliss. Vamanadeva is doing very nicely in St. Louis, and I am sending herewith some pictures of his activities. So Bali Mardan and Upendra are doing in Sydney also. All these newses are to me life-giving ambrosia, so the more you open branches, the more I increase my duration of life. Therefore, if you all my students want me to live for some days more, go on opening nice branches as many as possible.

The words are ambrosial because they are not my personal words, they are instructions of my predecessors and I am just trying to administer them to my best knowledge. That is the way of Parampara system.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 17 April, 1970:

Regarding our books, yes, they are being printed in our press and they will come out very shortly. The books are being written specifically for my students and I am so glad to learn that you read them so carefully. The words are ambrosial because they are not my personal words, they are instructions of my predecessors and I am just trying to administer them to my best knowledge. That is the way of Parampara system. We have nothing to manufacture, but simply carry the message as a faithful peon. That will be effective. One should be very sincere to his Spiritual Master and Krsna simultaneously. Then everything comes out successful. That is the verdict of the Vedas and Lord Caitanya.

1971 Correspondence

The more men understand the importance of our movement, the more they will invite us to their homes and clubs, because Krishna Consciousness is the life-giving ambrosia.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 11 April, 1971:

Your program of door to door Sankirtana is very encouraging. The more men understand the importance of our movement, the more they will invite us to their homes and clubs, because Krishna Consciousness is the life-giving ambrosia. So increase this program more and more and we shall be able to distribute all our books, which is even more important than membership. Of course, if we can do both at the same time, that is best.