Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Chapter 09 Purports - Dhruva Maharaja Returns Home
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A
- A conditioned soul does not know what complete independence is. Complete independence means situation in one's own constitutional position
- A devotee does not want mystic powers or liberation or material prosperity. He is satisfied in any condition of life, as long as he is constantly engaged in the service of the Lord
- A devotee is a great hero because he conquers the influence of maya
- A devotee is always engaged in drinking the honey from the lotus feet of the Lord. Unless one is freed from all material desires, he cannot actually taste the honey from the Lord's lotus feet
- A devotee is considered to be on the brahma-bhuta platform when he has no material contamination. In the Padma Purana this is also confirmed: mukti means engagement in the service of the Lord
- A devotee like Dhruva Maharaja, by the grace of the Lord, knows all the manifestations of the Lord and their different positions
- A devotee must be very sincere in his devotional service; then, although there may be many things wrong on the devotee's part, Krsna will guide him and gradually elevate him to the highest position of devotional service
- A devotee never forgets the benefit derived from the Lord
- A devotee of the Lord does not demand respect from anyone, but wherever he goes he is honored by everyone throughout the whole world with all respect
- A highly qualified devotee can have the facility of material enjoyment and at the same time execute love of God. This, however, was a special case for Dhruva Maharaja
- A living entity is eternally existent, and he cannot give up desires
- A living entity is within the time of past, present and future. His life has a beginning, a birth, and in the conditioned state his life ends with death. But the Lord is adi-purusa, the original person
- A living entity must have desires; that is the symptom of life
- A Mayavadi philosopher may question us, "You may be very happy in the association of devotees, but what is your plan for crossing the ocean of material existence?"
- A mundane person cannot offer any prayer or glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because he has no realization of the Vedic conclusion
- A paramahamsa accepts only the active principle of everything; just as a swan accepts only the milk from a mixture of water & milk, he accepts only the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his life and soul, neglecting all external, material things
- A pure devotee also does not want liberation. He is a soul completely surrendered to the Supreme Lord, and he does not demand anything from the Lord. This position was realized by Dhruva Maharaja when he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead present
- A pure devotee has no demand from the Lord. His only concern is to serve the Lord sincerely and seriously, and he is not at all concerned about what will happen in the future
- A pure devotee is always free from any kind of material desires. In the material world, one's material desires are all most demonic
- A small child may demand something from his father which his father has never given to anyone else, yet out of affection the father offers it to the child; similarly, this unique planet, Dhruvaloka, was offered to Maharaja Dhruva
- A special advantage in devotional service is that devotees not only enjoy the transcendental pastimes of the Lord by hearing and chanting and glorifying them, but also are not very much attached to their bodies, unlike the yogis
- A Vaisnava devotee should always be anyabhilasita-sunya, free from all material aspirations for the results of fruitive activities or empiric philosophical speculation
- According to Srila Sanatana Gosvami in his Bhagavatamrta, the Sahasrasirsa Personality of Godhead who appeared at that time was the incarnation known as Prsnigarbha. He created the planet known as Dhruvaloka for the habitation of Dhruva Maharaja
- Actually every one of us already has an arrangement for our standard of material comforts. A devotee should always remain satisfied with the standard of comforts offered by the Lord. This saves time for executing Krsna consciousness
- Advancement of human civilization depends not on industrial enterprises, but on possession of natural wealth and natural food, which is all supplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead so that we may save time for self-realization
- After achieving perfection by self-realization and seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, Dhruva Maharaja was completely freed from all contamination of material desire
- After Dhruva Maharaja's departure from home, King Uttanapada thought that he was the cause of Dhruva's leaving, and thus he considered himself the most wretched
- After finishing with all this material enjoyment (thirty-six thousand years with unchangeable senses and the chance to perform many great sacrifices), Dhruva would be promoted to the spiritual world, which includes the Dhruvaloka
- After the departure of Dhruva Maharaja from the palace, the King (Uttanapada) was very afflicted, but by the kind words of Saint Narada he was partially satisfied
- All the domes of the city palaces as well as the pinnacles of the airplanes were decorated with ornamental work in gold, and, being reflected by the sunshine, they were all glittering
- All these features of Dhruva Maharaja's bodily expression (his agitation in awe and respect after seeing God) indicate that upon seeing the Lord face to face he developed the eight kinds of transcendental ecstasy in his body
- Although apparently Brahman seems to be devoid of energy, factually it has different energies working under the headings of knowledge and ignorance. On account of these different energies, there is continually a manifestation of vidya and avidya
- Although apparently we are awake in material life, because we have no information of the soul and the Supersoul, we create many friends and enemies simply out of imagination
- Although Dhruva Maharaja was the son of a king and was only five years old, he went to the forest and executed devotional service under strict austerity
- Although Dhruva Maharaja's achievement of an eternal planet was not conceived of by him, Krsna thought, "What will Dhruva do with an exalted position within this material world?"
- Although he (Dhruva Maharaja) got the result of the visnu-mantra by the causeless mercy of the Lord, he lamented how foolish he was to have strived for material benefits while practicing devotional service
- Although it was a somewhat childish determination because Dhruva Maharaja was nothing but a small child, Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is so kind and merciful that He fulfilled Dhruva's desire
- Although the Lord also fulfilled his (Dhruva Maharaja's) desire, he was not very pleased. Rather, he was ashamed that he had demanded something from the Lord, for he should not have done this
- Although the material world is blazing fire, to a devotee it appears full of pleasure
- Although the monist philosopher is elevated to the status of being one with the effulgence of the Lord, because there is no facility for associating with the Lord and rendering service unto Him, he again falls into this material world
- Although the monist philosopher is elevated to the status of being one with the effulgence of the Lord, his service propensity is satisfied by materialistic welfare activities like humanitarianism, altruism and philanthropy
- Although the polestar existed before its occupation by Dhruva Maharaja, it had no predominating deity
- Although the Supreme Person is the original cause of all causes, His impersonal effulgence, known as Brahman, is the immediate cause of the material manifestation
- An advanced devotee can understand the Lord and His creative energy. As soon as one accepts the creative energy of the Absolute Truth, the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are also understood
- An atheistic argument against the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead states that if God, the Supreme Person, appears and disappears and sleeps and awakens, then what is the difference between God and the living entity?
- An enlightened devotee no longer has any material activities, nor has he any interest in being materially engaged. This process of purifying the senses and engaging them in the service of the Lord is known as bhakti, or devotional service
- An example is given in this connection (in SB 4.9.16) by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura of a person proceeding towards a destination
- An insignificant insect has a desire for sense gratification and even a great personality like Lord Brahma also wants to dominate this material nature
- Another aspect of this verse (SB 4.9.62) is that Dhruva Maharaja's father, Uttanapada, would very soon give up attachment for his palaces and would go to the forest for self-realization
- Another difference between the Lord and the living entity is that a living entity is always in darkness. Even though he may be situated in the mode of goodness, there are still so many things which are unknown to him
- Antakasi-lulitat: by the sword of time one is cut from his exalted position within this material world, and he comes down again
- Ante narayana-smrtih: (SB 2.1.6) the result of whatever we do in executing spiritual activities is successful if we can remember Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Anyone who engages in rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord is considered to be mukta, or brahma-bhuta
- Anyone who goes to the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka Vrndavana planet is freely offering his service to the Lord. That is complete independence
- Anyone who has even a little of the Lord's grace can understand His glories; others may go on speculating on the Absolute Truth, but they will always be unable to understand the Lord
- Anyone who has seen the Red Fort in Delhi must have marked that the walls are made of marble and were once decorated with jewels. During the British period all these jewels were taken away and dispatched to the British Museum
- Anyone who is engaged in the loving service of the Lord should never ask for material prosperity from the Lord. The awarding of material prosperity simply depends on the stringent rules and regulations of the external energy
- As a result of his (Dhruva Maharaja's) rendering such devotional service with great determination and austerity, the Personality of Godhead personally manifested Himself before him
- As a result of their (the atheists) inexperience in the Absolute Truth and their reluctance to accept authority, they become more and more atheistic; they cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- As far as Dhruva Maharaja was concerned, he saw the Supreme Lord personally after only six months of practice in devotional service. He expected, therefore, that as soon as he met the SL, the Lord would take him to His abode immediately, without waiting
- As he (a person) approaches, he sees the destination from a distant place, just as we see a city from a distance. At that time he simply understands that the city is situated at a distance. When, however, he comes still nearer, he sees the domes & flags
- As Maharaja Dhruva practiced austerity in his early age, his father, Maharaja Uttanapada, in his old age also practiced austerity in the forest
- As soon as Dhruva Maharaja saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, he immediately became conscious of the unimportance of his demand from the Lord to have an exalted position better than Lord Brahma's
- As soon as he (a person) enters the city, he sees various paths, gardens, lakes, and marketplaces with shops, and persons buying. He sees varieties of cinema houses, and he sees dancing and jubilation
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita, after many, many births of executing severe austerities in search of knowledge, one comes to the point of real knowledge and becomes wise when one surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- As the modern astronauts who go to the moon or other heavenly planets by force of jet propulsion have to come down again after exhausting their fuel, so also do those who are elevated to the heavenly planets by force of yajnas and pious activities
- As the people there (in the heavenly planets) live for ten thousand years, so also do the trees. Of course, here on this earth there are many trees which live for ten thousand years, so what to speak of the trees on the heavenly planets
- Aside from common men, even men who are elevated in terms of spiritual understanding are at the utmost engaged in the service of the virat-rupa, or, unable to understand the ultimate form of the Lord, they worship voidism by meditation
- At heart Dhruva Maharaja wanted a kingdom that would be far better than Brahmaloka. This was a natural desire for a ksatriya
- At that time (when one is actually enlivened by the spiritual energy) his hands, legs, ears, tongue, mind, genitals - everything - engage in the service of the Lord. Such an enlightened devotee no longer has any material activities
- At the end of Brahma's life, selected personalities go back home, back to Godhead. Dhruva Maharaja is one of them
- At the end of each and every millennium, when all the material worlds are dissolved, everything enters the body of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is lying on the lap of Sesa Naga, another form of the Lord
- At the time of his (Dhruva Maharaja's) death he would remember the Supreme Lord, and before his death he would enjoy this material world, not by sense gratification, but by performing great sacrifices
- Auspicious ceremonies with decorations of the green leaves of palms, coconut trees, betel nut trees and banana trees, and fruits, flowers and leaves are an age-old custom in India
B
- Because a devotee knows that he is not the body, he is never affected by bodily happiness or distress. He is not interested in bodily relationships with wife, children, home etc., or in the distress and happiness which come from these things
- Because of having insulted Dhruva Maharaja, Suruci would become mad upon the death of her son and would enter a forest fire, and thus her life would be ended. This was mentioned by the Lord to Dhruva because he was determined for revenge against her
- Because of his mature position in yogic meditation, Dhruva Maharaja was constantly observing the form of the Personality of Godhead within his heart
- Because of our being contaminated by the modes of material nature, we distinguish one spiritual spark from another. That is also another kind of dreaming
- Because the impersonal Brahman realization is a partial understanding of the Absolute Truth, Dhruva Maharaja offers his respectful obeisances
- Because they (Modern politicians) get some political power for some days, they become so much attached to their positions that they never retire unless they are removed from their posts by cruel death or killed by some opposing political party
- Being so encouraged, the devotee can never forget, at any moment, the Personality of Godhead. He always feels obliged to Him for having achieved increased power in devotional service by His grace
- Bhaktya mam abhijanati: factual understanding of the Absolute Truth, who is the Supreme Person, cannot be obtained by any process other than devotional service
- By devotional service only is one elevated to the transcendental planet Goloka Vrndavana, and there also there is only devotional service
- By higher understanding one can know that the material body is nothing but a combination of the five material elements
- By nature's way, when a man cries, there may be two causes. When one cries in great happiness upon the fulfillment of some desire, the tears coming forth from the eyes are very cold and pleasing, whereas tears in times of distress are very hot
- By pleasing the spiritual master, who is a pure Vaisnava, one pleases the Personality of Godhead, but if one displeases the spiritual master one does not know where he is going
- By the beautifully positioned garden houses there were many luxuriant birds, such as swans, cakravakas, karandavas and cranes (in the palace of Maharaja Uttanapada). These birds generally do not live in filthy places like crows do
- By the mercy of the Lord, as soon as the Lord's conchshell touched his (Dhruva Maharaja's) forehead, he became completely aware of the Vedic conclusion
- By worshiping the lotus feet of the Lord in devotional service as instructed by Narada Muni, Dhruva Maharaja achieved the desired result. His desire was to get a very exalted position, excelling that of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather
D
- Devotees are always interested in hearing about the Lord's transcendental qualities, and they are always eager to glorify these qualities, but sometimes they feel inconvenienced by humbleness
- Devotees engaged in devotional service are not very much attached to their bodies, unlike the yogis, who are too attached to the body and who think that by performing bodily gymnastic exercises they will advance in spiritual consciousness
- Devotees who are still further advanced, in full knowledge, can understand the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. Only on that platform can one fully enjoy transcendental bliss
- Devotional service in the association of devotees is the cause of the development of further devotional service
- Dhruva Maharaja actually experienced that upon enlightenment of his senses on the spiritual platform he could understand the essence of Vedic instruction - that the Supreme Godhead is the Supreme Person
- Dhruva Maharaja appreciated that the results of devotional service are far more valuable than merging into the Absolute or being elevated to the heavenly planets
- Dhruva Maharaja attained this perfection not by acting hastily, but by patiently executing the order of his spiritual master, and therefore he became so successful that he saw the Lord face to face
- Dhruva Maharaja came to the forest to search out the Supreme Personality of Godhead with a revenging spirit against his stepmother
- Dhruva Maharaja could understand very easily the difference between his condition before and after attaining spiritual realization and seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face
- Dhruva Maharaja did not desire in the beginning to engage in the service of the Lord, but he wanted an exalted position better than his great-grandfather's. This is more or less not service to the Lord but service to the senses
- Dhruva Maharaja explicitly wanted the association of devotees. That association in devotional activities is just like the waves of an incessantly flowing river
- Dhruva Maharaja felt very grateful for the causeless mercy of the Lord
- Dhruva Maharaja greatly lamented his propensity for ruling the material world and his revengeful attitude towards other living entities
- Dhruva Maharaja here (in SB 4.9.13) admits that not only was he ignorant, but by years he was only a child
- Dhruva Maharaja here (in SB 4.9.13) compares his previous state of understanding with the perfection of understanding in the presence of the Supreme Lord
- Dhruva Maharaja is carefully distinguishing (here in SB 4.9.15) the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from that of the living entities
- Dhruva Maharaja lived many millions of years ago, but the description of the palace of Dhruva's father is so glorious that we cannot accept that advanced human civilization did not exist even forty or fifty thousand years ago
- Dhruva Maharaja never went to any school or academic teacher to learn the Vedic conclusion, but because of his DS to the Lord, as soon as the Lord appeared and touched his forehead with His conchshell, the entire Vedic conclusion was revealed to him
- Dhruva Maharaja offered his prayers to the Lord not in the way of the impersonalist philosophers, but as a devotee. Therefore, it is clearly said here (in SB 4.9.5), bhakti-bhava
- Dhruva Maharaja plainly says that a devotee has no more bodily interest. He knows that he is not the body
- Dhruva Maharaja realized that the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, acts through His different energies, not that He becomes void or impersonal and thus becomes all-pervading
- Dhruva Maharaja regrets his unfortunate position, for although he approached the SPG, who is always able to give His devotee the highest benediction of cessation of the repetition of birth and death, he foolishly wanted something perishable
- Dhruva Maharaja regrets that although he was initiated in the visnu-mantra by a Vaisnava, he still aspired for material benefits
- Dhruva Maharaja regrets that he wanted material opulence and greater prosperity than that of his great-grandfather, Lord Brahma. His begging from the Lord was like a poor man's asking a great emperor for a few grains of broken rice
- Dhruva Maharaja regretted that he had rejected the advice of Narada Muni and was adamant in asking him for something perishable, namely revenge against his stepmother for her insult, and possession of the kingdom of his father (King Uttanapada)
- Dhruva Maharaja regretted very much that he could not take seriously the instruction of his spiritual master and that his consciousness was therefore contaminated
- Dhruva Maharaja regretted very much that he had neglected these instructions - given by Narada Muni
- Dhruva Maharaja repented because he had come to the Lord to render devotional service for material profit. He here (in SB 4.9.9) condemns his attitude
- Dhruva Maharaja said, daivim mayam upasritya: the cause of his bewilderment was his association with the illusory, material energy
- Dhruva Maharaja says, You are spread all over the cosmic manifestation by Your energy. This energy is basically spiritual, but because it acts in the material world temporarily, it is called maya, or illusory energy
- Dhruva Maharaja wanted a residence more exalted than any ever occupied by anyone else in his family. Therefore he was offered the planet in which the Lord personally resides, and his determination was completely satisfied
- Dhruva Maharaja wanted to have the kingdom of his father, but his father refused even to allow him to get on his lap. In order to fulfill his desire, the Lord had already created a planet known as the polestar, Dhruvaloka
- Dhruva Maharaja was actually initiated by Narada Muni, the greatest Vaisnava, in the chanting of om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. This mantra is a visnu-mantra, for by practicing the chanting of this mantra one is elevated to the Visnuloka
- Dhruva Maharaja was cognizant of the defective nature of his own devotional service. Pure devotional service is without material form and is not covered by mental speculation or fruitive activities
- Dhruva Maharaja was determined to achieve the benediction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore Narada advised him to go back home for the time being, and in mature time he could try to practice devotional service
- Dhruva Maharaja was in this category (a paramahamsa), and due to his determination he achieved, the result he desired, but still when he returned home he was not very pleased
- Dhruva Maharaja was offered Dhruvaloka, a planet that was never resided upon by any conditioned soul. Even Brahma, although the topmost living creature within this universe, was not allowed to enter the Dhruvaloka
- Dhruva Maharaja was the great-grandson of Lord Brahma. This indicates that Dhruva Maharaja's time was in the Satya-yuga in the beginning of creation
- Dhruva Maharaja was the lost child of Queen Suniti, but during his absence she always meditated upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is able to rescue His devotee from all dangers
- Dhruva Maharaja was very much afraid in his mind, for he had aspired after material benefit in discharging his devotional service and this was hampering him from reaching the stage of love of God
- Dhruva Maharaja's conclusion is that these demigods, being envious of his superior position in devotional service, conspired against him to pollute his intelligence, and thus he could not accept Narada's valid instructions
- Dhruva Maharaja's demand was for a position so exalted that it was never enjoyed even by Lord Brahma, his great-grandfather
- Dhruva Maharaja's understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is complete
- Dhruva Maharaja, a five-year-old boy, went to the forest for penance and austerity, and the King (Uttanapada) could not at all believe that a small boy of such a tender age could live in the forest
- Dhruva Maharaja, being cognizant of his desire for material benefit, wanted protection from the Lord so that he might not be misled or deviated from the path of devotional service by material desires
- Dhruva Maharaja, however, had been blessed by the Supreme Lord. When the Lord touched His conchshell to Dhruva's forehead, real knowledge was revealed from within, and Dhruva could understand the Lord's transcendental form
- Dhruva Maharaja, influenced by a revengeful attitude towards his insulting stepmother, did not think of mukti, nor did he know what mukti was. Therefore he failed to aim for mukti as his goal in life
- Dhruva wanted the best of all planets, and although it was a childish prayer, the Lord satisfied his demand
- Dhruva was only a child. He wanted to offer nice prayers to the Lord, but because he lacked sufficient knowledge, he hesitated
- Dhruva was very much ashamed to think that although he had gone to Madhuvana, giving up the kingdom of his father (Uttanapada), and he had gotten a spiritual master like Narada Muni, he was still thinking of revenge against his stepmother
- Dhruvaloka is one of the lokas like Svetadvipa, Mathura and Dvaraka. They are all eternal places in the kingdom of Godhead, which is described in the Bhagavad-gita (tad dhama paramam) and in the Vedas
- Dhruvaloka, or the polestar, is the abode of Lord Visnu within this material world. Upon it there is an ocean of milk, and within that ocean there is an island known as Svetadvipa
- Dhruvaloka, our polestar, is the center for all other stars and solar systems, for all of them circle around Dhruvaloka just as a bull crushes grains by walking around and around a central pole
- During one day of Lord Brahma, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, there are many Satya-yugas. According to the Vedic calculation, at the present moment the twenty-eighth millennium is current
E
- Even a machine needs separate energy. It is stated in this verse (SB 4.9.7) that the material energy acts in varieties of material bodies, just as fire burns differently in different wood according to the size and quality of the wood
- Even great saintly persons like Sanandana-Sanandana, Sanaka, Sanatana and Sanat-kumara - practiced the yoga system for many, many births and remained in trance before getting the opportunity to see the Supreme Lord face to face
- Even if one gets the position of Brahma, the most exalted position in this material world, he is a conditioned soul
- Even now, if people would all become Krsna conscious, the democratic government of the present day would be exactly like the kingdom of heaven
- Even though it was possible that his (Uttanapada's) lost son (Dhruva Maharaja) was coming back from the kingdom of death, he thought that since he was most sinful it was not possible for him to be so fortunate as to get back his lost son
- Every devotee wants to chant the transcendental qualities of the Lord
- Every one of us who is engaged in devotional service in Krsna consciousness should be completely free from all material aspirations. Otherwise we will have to lament like Dhruva Maharaja
- Everyone should engage himself in the devotional service of the Lord with his life, his riches, his intelligence and his words. This is the original, constitutional position of the living entities
F
- Feelings of insult or honor in this material world are never perceived by a devotee
- For anyone who persistently engages in hearing the topics of the Lord from Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta and who is actually addicted to this process, it is very easy to cross the nescience of material existence
- For everyone but the devotees the Lord's energy acts as external energy. Dhruva Maharaja could understand this fact very nicely, and he could understand also that the energy and the energetic are one and the same
- For the activities of devotional service both in this world and in the spiritual world are one and the same. Devotional service does not change
- For the airplanes in those days (Dhruva Maharaja's time) were made of gold, whereas at the present moment airplanes are made of base aluminium. This just gives a hint of the opulence of Dhruva Maharaja's days and the poverty of modern times
- Formerly this earth was ruled by one saintly king only. Kings were trained to become saintly; therefore they had no other concern than the welfare of the citizens. These saintly kings were properly trained
- From the description of Srimad-Bhagavatam, therefore, we can make a very thorough comparative study of modern civilization and the civilization of mankind in the other millenniums, Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga and Dvapara-yuga
- From the spiritual point of view we are all spiritual sparks, parts and parcels of the Supreme Spirit, God
- From the spiritual point of view we are all spiritual sparks, parts and parcels of the Supreme Spirit, God. Either materially or spiritually we are basically one, but we make friends and enemies as dictated by the illusory energy
- From the very beginning without wasting time in bodily exercises, a devotee searches out a pure devotee and simply by his association becomes more advanced in spiritual consciousness than any yogi
- From this verse (SB 4.9.26) it appears that Lord Visnu awarded Dhruva Maharaja the same abode in which He resides. His abode is described in the Bhagavad-gita (BG 15.6): yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama
H
- Happiness derived from the touch of skin, or sensuous happiness, is present in the life of hogs and dogs. Such happiness is very insignificant. If a devotee worships the Lord for such insignificant happiness, he must be considered devoid of all knowledge
- Harim vina na mrtim taranti. It is said that without the blessings of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no one can stop the continuous chain of birth and death within this material world. Therefore the Supreme Lord is also called bhava-cchit
- He (a devotee) is not interested in bodily relationships with wife, children, home, bank balance, etc., or in the distress and happiness which come from these things. This is the special advantage of being a devotee
- He (a person) may sleep at night and perform his duties in the daytime, but as long as he does not come to the platform of working in spiritual enlightenment he is considered to be always sleeping
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) clearly says that this ocean (ocean of material existence) can be crossed very easily if one simply becomes mad to hear the glories of the Lord
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) could understand that his life force and activities had been sleeping. Unless one comes to the spiritual platform, his bodily limbs, mind and other facilities within the body are understood to be sleeping
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) offered obeisances to the Lord with great respect and reverence, completely understanding that the Lord's favor was upon him
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) states that before seeing the transcendental form of the Lord, he had experienced only the varieties of material forms, which are counted at 8,400,000 species of aquatics, birds, beasts, etc
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) wanted to dominate this material world in a greater position than Lord Brahma
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) was also only five years old, and in his childish way he desired to have a kingdom far greater than his father's, grandfather's or great-grandfather's
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) was aware that for a very long time he was practically sleeping, and he felt the impetus to glorify the Lord according to the Vedic conclusion
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) was further enabled, by the causeless mercy of the Lord, to offer fitting prayers to the Lord. To glorify or offer prayers unto the Supreme, one needs the Lord's mercy
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) was still thinking of revenge against his stepmother and wanted to occupy an exalted post within this material world. These were the causes for his moroseness even after he received all the desired benedictions from the Lord
- He (King Uttanapada) could understand the great fortune of his wife Suniti and the great misfortune of Queen Suruci, for these facts were certainly very open in the palace
- He (the Lord) gave Dhruva the opportunity to rule this material world for thirty-six thousand years with unchangeable senses and the chance to perform many great sacrifices and thus become the most reputed king within this material world
- He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) knows past, present and future and everything that is happening in everyone's heart
- He (the Supreme) has all the six opulences in full and beyond comparison, He is the master of material nature, His intelligence is not broken under any circumstances, and He stands aloof, although He is the maintainer of the whole creation
- He (Uttanapada) was certain that Dhruva was dead. He therefore could not fix his faith in the message that Dhruva Maharaja was coming back home again. For him this message said that a dead man was coming back home, and so he could not believe it
- His (Dhruva Maharaja's) acts were all wonderful, and when he came back home, naturally, because of his spiritual qualifications, he became very popular amongst the citizens. He must have performed many wonderful activities by the grace of the Lord
- His (Dhruva Maharaja's) father, Uttanapada, was the son of Manu, and Manu was the son of Lord Brahma. Dhruva wanted to excel all these great family members
- His (Dhruva's) revengeful attitude towards his stepmother and stepbrother was satisfied, his desire for a more exalted position than that of his great-grandfather was also fulfilled, and at the same time, his eternal position in Dhruvaloka was fixed
- His stepmother had insulted Dhruva, who was not an ordinary person, but a great Vaisnava. An offense at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava is the greatest offense in this world
- How long shall you sleep on the lap of maya? Now you have the opportunity of possessing a human form of body; now try to get up and realize yourself
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- If a devotee has a particular motive, the Lord directly or indirectly knows it, and therefore He does not leave the devotee's material desires unfulfilled. These are some of the special favors by the Lord to a devotee
- If all people became Krsna conscious they would vote for persons of the category of Dhruva Maharaja. If the post of chief executive were occupied by such a Vaisnava, all the problems of satanic government would be solved
- If the head of the government is saintly, certainly the citizens become saintly, and they are very happy because both their spiritual and physical needs and hankerings are satisfied
- Immediately after installing his (King Uttanapada's) worthy son Dhruva Maharaja on the throne, he left his home and palace
- Immortality, or complete cessation of the chain of repeated birth and death, can be offered by the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead Himself, not by others
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.14) it is said, daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya: the living entities are all entangled in the three modes of material nature
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 9.21) we find, ksine punye martya-lokam visanti: those who are elevated to the higher planetary systems must come down again as soon as the results of their pious activities are exhausted
- In dreams we create so many things out of various impressions in the subconscious mind, but all such creations are simply temporary and unreal
- In fact the impersonal and personal realizations develop in proportion to the development of devotional service. The more we develop our devotional service, the more closely we approach the Absolute Truth
- In modern days, it is not possible to give up one's home and go to the forest to practice austerity, but if people of all ages would take shelter of the Krsna consciousness movement, it would be a very easy task to get salvation from this material world
- In our Krishna Consciousness Society we have full engagement twenty-four hours a day. Every moment of our time is always busily engaged in the service of the Lord. This is called the incessant flow of devotional service
- In the beginning the senses are engaged in a mechanical way (when the senses are engaged by the direction of the spiritual master and sastra), but after realization they are engaged in spiritual understanding
- In the beginning, the senses are engaged by the direction of the spiritual master and sastra, and after realization, when the same senses are purified, the engagement continues
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that He has spread Himself throughout the universe, but although everything is resting upon Him, He is aloof
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that He is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor of everything and anything within this creation, and the supreme friend of everyone. When one knows these things perfectly, he is always satisfied
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that to those who are constantly engaged in devotional service with love and affection, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives intelligence from within, and thus they may make further progress
- In the Brahma-samhita it is said that the unlimited impersonal Brahman is the effulgence of the transcendental body of Govinda
- In the Brahma-samhita Lord Brahma offers his respect to the adi-purusa, Govinda, the original person, who has no beginning, whereas the creation of this material world has a beginning
- In the case of devotees the same energy (material energy) is transformed into spiritual energy; this is possible because the energy is originally spiritual, not material
- In the material world, everyone is trying to become completely independent simply by fighting against the obstacles offered by maya. This is called the struggle for existence
- In the Mukunda-mala-stotra, King Kulasekhara, author of the book, states in his prayer: My dear Lord, I don't want any position of sense gratification within this material world. I simply want to engage in Your service perpetually
- In the Satya-yuga people generally lived for one hundred thousand years. Dhruva Maharaja's ruling the world for thirty-six thousand years was quite possible in those days
- In the Satya-yuga people used to live for one hundred thousand years, in the Treta-yuga people lived for ten thousand years, in Dvapara-yuga they lived for one thousand years, and in this age, Kali-yuga, people may live up to one hundred years
- In the unlimited effulgent aura of the Supreme Personality of Godhead there are innumerable universes with innumerable planets of different categories
- In this age of Kali, however, the great sacrifice is the performance of sankirtana-yajna. Our Krsna consciousness movement is designed to teach people (and to learn ourselves) the exact instruction of the Personality of Godhead
- In this age, distribution of prasada has replaced distribution of money. No one has sufficient money to distribute, but if we distribute krsna-prasada as far as possible, this is more valuable than the distribution of money
- In this verse (SB 4.9.25) the word navartate is very significant. The Lord says, You (Dhruva Maharaja) will not come back to this material world, for you will reach mat-sthanam, My abode
- In this verse (SB 4.9.30) Dhruva Maharaja himself explains the cause of his moroseness. First he laments that to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly is not easy
- In this verse (SB 4.9.35) the word svarajyam, which means complete independence, is very significant
- In this verse (SB 4.9.63) the word amara-drumaih, with trees brought from the heavenly planets, is very significant
- It appears that not only was the palace (of Maharaja Uttanapada) surrounded by compounds and gardens with varieties of trees, but there were small man-made lakes also
- It is a fact that the demigods control the different activities of the limbs of our bodies. Factually we are not free even in moving our eyelids. Everything is controlled by them
- It is a misunderstanding to think, as do the monists, that when one gets relief from the process of birth and death he merges into the Supreme Brahman
- It is described that after the appearance of the Lord, when Dhruva Maharaja thought and compared his determination to his final reward, he realized that he had wanted a few particles of broken glass but instead had received many diamonds
- It is known to them (the demigods) that their position in the higher planetary system is impermanent
- It is said in the Gita that after exhausting the results of their pious activities, all the demigods, who are inhabitants of the higher planetary system, have to come back again to this earth
- It is said that this impersonal Brahman is the distant realization of the Absolute Truth
- It is suggested by Srimad Vijayadhvaja Tirtha that on this occasion (abhiseka ceremony) the demigods from higher planetary systems also came in their airplanes to bestow their blessings on Dhruva Maharaja on his arrival at the capital of his father
- It is understood that when a devotee writes or speaks about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his words are dictated by the Lord from within
- It is within our experience that the politicians in India do not quit their positions until death. This was not the practice in olden days
- It may be questioned here (in SB 4.9.25) what will happen to the planet known as Dhruvaloka at the time of the dissolution of this universe. The answer is simple: Dhruvaloka remains, like other Vaikunthalokas beyond this universe
- It may be questioned why Dhruva Maharaja offered his respect not only to his mother but also to his stepmother, due to whose insults he had to leave home
- It would not have been possible for an ignorant child to appreciate the supreme form of the Lord had he not been blessed by the Lord, who had touched His conchshell to Dhruva's forehead
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- Karmis work day and night to improve their economic condition, jnanis undergo severe austerities in order to get liberation, and yogis also undergo severe austerities by practicing the yoga system for attainment of wonderful mystic powers
- Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is so affectionate and kind towards His devotee, especially to a devotee like Dhruva Maharaja, who went to render devotional service in the forest alone at the age of only five years
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- Lord Caitanya prayed, My Lord, I do not want any amount of material wealth, I do not want any number of materialistic followers, nor do I want any attractive wife to enjoy. The only thing I want is that I may engage life after life in Your service
- Lord Caitanya says that one has to be humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the tree to execute devotional service. Dhruva Maharaja, therefore, has in this verse (SB 4.9.45) been described as saj-janagranih, the foremost of noble men
- Lord Caitanya therefore taught us not to ask from the Supreme Personality any benediction such as material wealth, popularity or a good wife. One should simply pray to the Lord to be constantly engaged in His transcendental loving service
- Lord had offered him (Dhruva Maharaja) the rule of the world for thirty-six thousand years because in the beginning he was under the spell of the material energy and wanted to take revenge against his stepmother and rule over his father's kingdom
- Lord Ksirodakasayi Visnu was present before Dhruva Maharaja, who could also understand the Lord's two other forms, namely Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Karanodakasayi (Maha) Visnu
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- Maharaja Uttanapada was not an ordinary king; he was a rajarsi, a saintly king
- Many great political leaders have tried to establish independence, but due to such so-called independence the people's dependence has only increased
- Material desires are all most demonic; one thinks of others as one's enemies, one thinks of revenge against one's enemies, one aspires to become the topmost leader or topmost person in this material world, and thus one competes with all others
- Modern scientists are proud of their knowledge because they are discovering new methods to dominate the laws of material nature. They think that this is the advancement of human civilization
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- Narada Muni had asked him (Dhruva Maharaja), Why should you bother about insult or adoration from your stepmother? He of course said to Dhruva Maharaja that since Dhruva was only a child, what did he have to do with such insult or adoration
- No one is more satisfied than the father of a person who is credited with glorious activities
- Not only was King Uttanapada a rajarsi, but before installing his beloved son Dhruva on the throne of the empire of the world, he consulted his ministerial officers, considered the opinion of the public, and also personally examined Dhruva's character
O
- One can experience that one man engages in the service of a dog, another serves plants and creepers, another the demigods, and another humanity, or his boss in the office - but no one is engaged in the service of Krsna
- One cannot write to glorify the Lord unless one is endowed with His causeless mercy
- One has to discharge his devotional duties without being disturbed by the coming and going of material circumstances. This desirelessness for material prosperity is called niskama
- One has to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord and engage in his original, eternal service
- One should never compare the sleeping of an ordinary living entity to the sleeping of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Causal Ocean. There is no stage at which the living entity can compare to the Supreme Person
- One should not mistakenly think that niṣkāma means giving up all desires. That is impossible
- One who realizes this impersonal feature can enjoy the unchangeable brahmananda, described here as spiritual bliss
- Only due to gross lack of knowledge does one worship the Lord for material profit or for sense gratification. The Lord is like a desire tree. Anyone can have whatever he desires from the Lord
- Only in the association of pure devotees can the words of Lord Krsna be fully potent and relishable to the heart and ear
- Ordinarily a king's son (Dhruva) only five years old and away from home in the forest would certainly be supposed dead, but by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not only was he saved, but he was blessed with the highest perfection
- Our creation of friends and enemies within this material world is something like dreaming at night
- Out of these five muktis (sayujya, sarupya, salokya, samipya and sarsti), which can be achieved by any person engaged in devotional service to the Lord, the one which is known as sayujya is generally demanded by Mayavadi philosophers
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- People in general, who are under the influence of avidya-sakti, or maya, have neither knowledge nor devotion
- Pleasing him (a Vaisnava) or displeasing him directly affects the pleasure and displeasure of the Supreme Lord
- Practice of austerity is the main business of human life
- Prayers for material benediction are intended for satisfying the senses. And when one is frustrated and cannot fully satisfy the senses in spite of all endeavor, he desires liberation, or freedom from material existence
- Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena: a saintly person who has developed love of Godhead by devotional service always sees the Lord's transcendental form of Syamasundara. This Syamasundara form of the Lord within the heart of a devotee is not imaginary
- Pure devotees ask the Lord only for the privilege of serving Him. This is our real independence. If we want anything else, it is a sign of our misfortune
- Pure devotional service is called ahaituki, unmotivated. Dhruva Maharaja knew that he had come to worship the Lord in devotional service with a motive - to get the kingdom of his father. Such an adulterated devotee can never see the SPG face to face
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- Saint Vidura's inquiry is very relevant (in SB 4.9.28). The word artha-vit, which refers to one who knows how to discriminate between reality and unreality, is very significant in this connection. An artha-vit is also called paramahamsa
- Saintly persons like Sanaka, Sanatana and Lord Brahma were able to see the entire universe, by the mercy of the Lord, through knowledge of the Lord
- Sayujya is generally demanded by Mayavadi philosophers; they demand to become one with the impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Lord
- Sayujya-mukti, although counted among the five kinds of mukti, is not actually mukti because from sayujya-mukti one may again fall down to this material world
- Sense gratification means domination over material nature. The whole competition between conditioned souls is based upon domination of this material nature
- Since Dhruva Maharaja was blessed by the Lord, due to his transcendental qualities everyone was bound to offer him all respects and benediction, just as water, by its nature, flows downward
- Since it is described that Maharaja Dhruva ruled for thirty-six thousand years, he must have lived in the Satya-yuga, when people lived for one hundred thousand years
- Since the Supreme Lord is absolute, the form within the heart of a devotee, the form in the temple and the original form in Vaikuntha, Vrndavana-dhama, are all the same; they are nondifferent from one another
- Sometimes it so happens that a devotee engaged in the loving service of the Lord desires some material benefit in exchange for this service
- Sometimes the atheists argue, How can a flower stem sprout from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu? They consider all the statements of the sastras to be stories
- Speaking before Dhruva Maharaja, He used the word vedaham because when Dhruva Maharaja demanded material benefits, the Lord was present within his heart and so knew everything
- Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says that within this material world or material consciousness, good and bad are the same. The distinction between good and bad is simply a mental concoction
- Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati says that if one is elevated to real, pure devotional service, he considers even great demigods like Brahma and Indra to be on an equal level with an insignificant insect
- Srila Rsabhadeva instructed his sons that unless a human being comes to the point of understanding the atma, or spiritual position, whatever he does is ignorance, and this brings only defeat in his life
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has commented that the very word navartate indicates that this planet (Dhruvaloka) is eternal
- Such devotees (who are essentially very advanced but still not able to understand the personal features or variegatedness of the spiritual world) are known as jnana-misra-bhaktas, or devotees whose devotional service is mixed with empiric knowledge
- Suniti did not hesitate to take the other wife, Suruci, and her son, Uttama, on the same palanquin. That was the greatness of Queen Suniti, the mother of the great Vaisnava Dhruva Maharaja
- Suniti, mother of Dhruva Maharaja, is described as vira-su, a mother who produced a great hero. There are many heroes in the world, but there is no comparison to Dhruva Maharaja, who was not only a heroic emperor of this planet, but also a great devotee
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- That is the process of understanding Vedic literature. One cannot understand it simply by academic learning. The Vedas indicate that only to one who has unflinching faith in the S Lord as well as in the spiritual master is the Vedic conclusion revealed
- The actual fact is that all living entities are sons of God, or by-products of His marginal energy. Because of our being contaminated by the modes of material nature, we distinguish one spiritual spark from another
- The atmosphere of the city was very healthy and beautiful (in the palace of Maharaja Uttanapada); it can simply be imagined from its description
- The bodily construction of a human being and that of a demigod are one and the same
- The chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is first addressed to the spiritual energy of the Lord, Hare. This spiritual energy acts when a living entity fully surrenders and accepts his position as an eternal servitor
- The conception of worldly opulence was formerly based mainly on natural resources such as jewels, marble, silk, ivory, gold and silver. The advancement of economic development was not based on big motorcars
- The constitutional position of a living entity is to render service to the Lord. That is real mukti. When one is situated in his original position, giving up artificial positions, he is called mukta, or liberated
- The contamination of the material world does not affect the Supreme Godhead. Krsna therefore says in the Bhagavad-gita that those who are rascals and fools think of Him as an ordinary human being, not knowing His param bhavam
- The demigods live in the heavenly planets for months, years and ten-thousands of years according to demigod time, and then again, after the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they fall down to this earth
- The description of King Uttanapada's palace depicts the state of affairs many hundreds and thousands of years ago, long before Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled
- The devotee in perfect knowledge cannot forget his obligation to the Lord at any moment
- The devotee understands that the Lord's causeless mercy is beyond his estimation; he cannot know how much he is benefited by the grace of the Lord
- The devotee's love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so intense that he wants to kiss the lotus feet of the Lord constantly, and he wants to touch the tips of the toes of the Lord and constantly embrace His lotus feet
- The difference (between performing devotional service in this world and in the spiritual world) is that one stage is unripe and the other is ripe and more relishable. It is possible to mature in devotional service only in the association of devotees
- The distinction between good and bad is simply a mental concoction. The actual fact is that all living entities are sons of God, or by-products of His marginal energy
- The energy cannot be separated from the energetic
- The example is given that a person may apparently abstain from sleep all day, but as long as he is not spiritually enlightened he is actually sleeping
- The example of a mango can be given here. If one gets an unripe mango, it is still a mango, and when it is ripe it remains the same mango, but it has become more tasteful and relishable
- The example of Dhruva Maharaja is that he engaged himself in devotional service to the Lord according to the order of his spiritual master, Narada Muni
- The external energy of the Lord is very strong, but the Lord, as the master of the three modes of material nature, is ever liberated from the action and reaction of those modes. He, therefore, is uncontaminated, as stated in the Isopanisad
- The flower and fruit trees in the heavenly planets are superior, for they are very pleasant and tasteful, and it appears that in the palace of Maharaja Uttanapada there were many varieties of such trees
- The fulfillment of Dhruva Maharaja's demand - a position more exalted than that of even his great-grandfather, Brahma - was offered to him
- The heavenly planets are known as Amaraloka
- The heavenly planets are known as Amaraloka, the planets where death is very much delayed, because the people there live for ten thousand years according to the calculations of the demigods, in which our six months are equal to one day
- The history of Dhruva Maharaja's leaving home was that his father refused to give him a place on his lap, and Dhruva Maharaja determined that unless he got the throne of his father he would not come back
- The identity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the feature of Paramatma, or Supersoul, is admitted herein (in SB 4.9.7). His original, spiritual energy enlivens the material energy, and thus the dead body appears to have life force
- The independence of the conditioned soul does not mean to fight with the obstacles offered by maya, but to surrender to Krsna
- The individual soul is forever a servant of the Supersoul, and therefore his relationship with the Supersoul is to offer service. That is called bhakti-yoga, or bhakti-bhava
- The karmis, however, or jnanis or yogis endeavor always for their own personal happiness
- The King (Uttanapada) installed him (Dhruva Maharaja) on the throne to take charge of the affairs of the world
- The life durations in the four yugas are also mentioned in the Vedic literature
- The living entity cannot be happy trying to be independent in the material world
- The living entity is forced to appear in this material world under the direction of daiva-maya, but when the Lord appears, He comes by His own internal potency, atma-maya
- The Lord always knows everything a man is thinking. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita also: vedaham samatitani
- The Lord assured Dhruva Maharaja that Dhruva would not be bereft of the Lord's love. He encouraged Dhruva not to be worried that he childishly had material desires and at the same time had the pure aspiration to be a great devotee
- The Lord assured Dhruva that he would exist beyond the partial dissolution of this universe
- The Lord does not award a pure devotee material opulence, even though he may desire it. But Dhruva Maharaja's case was different
- The Lord does not consider the motive; He is concerned with the service
- The Lord fulfilled all Dhruva Maharaja's desires
- The Lord gives intelligence to the constantly engaged devotee so that he may gradually approach the Lord without difficulty
- The Lord is addressed here (in SB 4.9.8) as arta-bandhu, which means friend of the distressed
- The Lord is addressed herein (SB 4.9.17) by Dhruva Maharaja as purusartha-murti, the ultimate goal of life. Generally purusartha is taken to mean execution of a type of religious principle or worship of God in order to get material benediction
- The Lord is described as mukti-pati, which means "one under whose lotus feet there are all kinds of mukti." There are five kinds of mukti - sayujya, sarupya, salokya, samipya and sarsti
- The Lord is eternally liberated. Whenever He appears, even within this material world, He is never entangled by the three modes of material nature. He is known, therefore, as try-adhisa, the master of the three modes of material nature
- The Lord is like a desire tree. Anyone can have whatever he desires from the Lord, but people in general do not know what kind of benediction they should ask from Him
- The Lord is not part of the soul - He is the unchangeable Supreme Soul, and the living entities are His parts and parcels
- The Lord is so merciful that due to Dhruva's execution of devotional service He offered Dhruva the ultimate Vaisnava goal
- The Lord is so merciful that not only does He fulfill the desires of a devotee who is driven by ignorance and desires for material benefit, but He also gives such a devotee all protection, just as a cow gives milk to a newly born calf
- The Lord is so merciful to His devotee that He immediately said to Dhruva Maharaja, Let there be all good fortune for you
- The Lord is the supreme maintainer. Living entities are meant to serve Him by offering sacrifices, for He is the rightful enjoyer of the results of all sacrifices
- The Lord knew Dhruva Maharaja's childish ambition, but how was it possible to offer Dhruva a position more exalted than Lord Brahma's
- The Lord knew that he was such a great devotee that in spite of having material opulence he would never be deviated from love of God
- The Lord touched His conch to Dhruva's forehead, and he was transcendentally inspired. This inspiration is called brahma-maya because when one is thus inspired, the sound he produces exactly corresponds to the sound vibration of the Vedas
- The Lord was worshiped by both the mother (Suniti) and the son (Dhruva), and both were able to achieve the supreme benediction from the Supreme Lord
- The Lord's feet are compared to the lotus, wherein there is saffron dust
- The Mayavadi philosopher thinks that the Absolute Truth, being spread throughout the cosmic manifestation, has no personal form
- The Mayavadi philosopher, who does not surrender unto the Supreme Person, is understood to be lacking in real knowledge
- The Mayavadi philosophers come to the conclusion of impersonalism or voidism
- The monist philosopher, after executing severe austerity, merges into the impersonal effulgence of the Lord, but the living entity always wants reciprocation in loving affairs
- The more a devotee engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, the more encouragement is supplied by the energy of the Lord
- The more they (Modern scientists) can dominate the material laws, the more advanced they think they are. Dhruva Maharaja's propensity in the beginning was like that
- The more we develop our devotional service, the more closely we approach the Absolute Truth, which, in the beginning, when we realize the Absolute Truth from a distant place, is manifest as impersonal
- The most important factor in this verse (SB 4.9.24) is the Lord's instructions regarding how to remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the end of life
- The ocean of material nescience is compared to a blazing fire, but to a devotee this blazing fire is insignificant because he is completely absorbed in devotional service
- The only prayers worth offering are those offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose reputation is spread far and wide
- The only thing I want is that I may engage life after life in Your service - Lord Caitanya did not pray even for mukti, or liberation
- The original energy inspires a devotee, and thus he engages all his bodily limbs in the service of the Lord. The same energy, as external potency, engages the ordinary nondevotees in material activities for sense enjoyment
- The parijata was planted in the palace of Lord Krsna which was occupied by Queen Satyabhama
- The Personality of Godhead, being situated in everyone's heart, specifically gives a devotee intelligence to describe Him
- The phrase bhavapyaya, which refers to birth and death. The Lord can give relief from the chain of birth and death
- The position of a living entity is to render service; unless he comes to the stage of appreciating the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he engages in the service of the various forms of trees, reptiles, animals, Men, demigods, etc
- The position of karmis is still more degraded. Their aim is to elevate themselves to the higher planetary systems. It is said, yanti deva-vrata devan: persons who worship the demigods are elevated to the heavenly planets
- The pure devotee never hankers after any kind of material prosperity
- The question may be raised in this connection why Suruci, who was not at all favorably disposed towards Dhruva, blessed him, Long may you live, which means that she also desired good fortune for him. The answer is given in this verse - SB 4.9.47
- The real independence of a living entity, who is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is to remain always dependent on the Supreme Lord, just like a child who plays in complete independence, guided by his parents, who watch over him
- The relationship between the Absolute Truth and the relative material and spiritual energies is here (in SB 4.9.5) understood by a student who has complete knowledge of the Vedic literature
- The science of God, or the yoga system of devotional service known as Bhagavad-gita, was spoken to the saintly king of the sun planet, and gradually it descended through the ksatriya kings who were generated from the sun and the moon
- The significant point in Dhruva Maharaja's statement is that he wanted the association of pure devotees
- The six Gosvamis of Vrndavana are respected throughout the entire universe because a devotee, having pleased the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of all emanations, automatically pleases everyone, and thus everyone offers him respect
- The sound vibration of the Hare Krsna mantra, although presented in the ordinary alphabet, should not be taken as mundane or material
- The specific significance of this planet (Dhruvaloka) is that until the entire universe is annihilated this planet will remain, even during the devastation which takes place during the night of Lord Brahma
- The Supreme Godhead is the Supreme Person; He is not impersonal
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be forgotten even for a moment by His surrendered devotees
- The tears which flowed down from the eyes of Suniti were all-auspicious. This auspiciousness of the abhiseka ceremony performed by his mother was an indication that in the very near future Dhruva Maharaja would be installed on the throne of his father
- The transcendental bliss derived from devotional service, cannot be compared to the happiness derived by karmis by elevating themselves to the heavenly planets or by jnanis or yogis, who enjoy oneness with the supreme impersonal Brahman
- The transcendental bliss derived from sravanam kirtanam by pure devotees cannot be compared to brahmananda, or the impersonal conception of transcendental bliss derived by merging into the Absolute
- The Vaisnava philosophy in the process of Krsna consciousness prohibits the devotee from all kinds of material aspirations
- The vasudeva platform refers to the stage at which material contamination is conspicuous by absence only. Because on the vasudeva platform one can see God face to face, the Lord is also called Vasudeva
- The Vedanta says, janmady asya yatah; (SB 1.1.1) everything is born from the Supreme, but the Supreme has no birth
- The Vedas also declare, Get up! Get up! You have the opportunity, the boon of the human form of life - now realize yourself. These are the Vedic injunctions
- The water was full of many-colored lotus flowers and lilies (in the palace of Maharaja Uttanapada), and to get down to the lakes there were staircases made of valuable jewels such as emeralds
- The word anatmyam is very significant in this verse (SB 4.9.31). Atma means the soul, and anatmya means without any conception of the soul
- The word sahasrasirsa refers to the Personality of Godhead known as Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Although the Lord appeared as Ksirodakasayi Visnu, He has been described here as Sahasrasirsa Visnu because He is nondifferent from Garbhodakasayi Visnu
- The word sudurjayam, an adjective which indicates that no one can conquer death, is very significant
- The word sva-dhamna means by spiritual energy. Spiritual enlightenment is possible by the mercy of the spiritual energy of the Lord
- The words parastat kalpa-vasinam, "transcendental to the planets inhabited after the dissolution," refer to the Vaikuntha planets. In other words, Dhruva Maharaja's promotion to the Vaikunthalokas was guaranteed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The words patatam vimanat are very significant. Vimana means airplane. Those who are elevated to the heavenly planets are like airplanes, which drop when they run out of fuel
- The youthful generation of the present day is very enthusiastic in trying to overthrow the government in different parts of the world. But unless people are Krsna conscious like Dhruva Maharaja, there will be no appreciable changes in government
- There are hundreds and thousands of instances like this in which kings, in their mature age, would give up their kingdoms and go to the forest to practice austerity
- There are many instances of such falldowns (in sayujya-mukti), even for great sannyasis in the Mayavada school
- There are two kinds of dissolutions, one during the night of Lord Brahma and one at the end of Lord Brahma's life
- There is continually a manifestation of vidya and avidya. Vidya and avidya are very nicely described in Isopanisad. It is said there that sometimes, due to avidya, or a poor fund of knowledge, one accepts the Absolute Truth as ultimately impersonal
- There is devotional service performed according to the direction of the spiritual master and the injunctions and regulative principles of sastra, and there is devotional service in the spiritual world, rendered directly in association with the SPG
- There were walls like those in the palace of Maharaja Uttanapada even very recently, during the Mogul period. Anyone who has seen the Red Fort in Delhi must have marked that the walls are made of marble and were once decorated with jewels
- These activities (prayers for material benediction) are generally called purusartha. But actually the ultimate goal is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called pancama-purusartha, the ultimate goal of life
- They (people of the present day) are only busy to keep their position of prestige and monetary gain. They have very little time to think of the welfare of the citizens
- They (those who are elevated to the higher planetary systems) are like the modern astronauts who go to the moon; as soon as their fuel is used up, they are obliged to come back down to this earth
- They (trees in the heavenly planets) must live for more than many ten-thousands of years, and sometimes, as practiced even now, some valuable trees are taken from one place to another
- This abhiseka ceremony performed by his (Dhruva Maharaja's) beloved mother was an indication that he would occupy the throne of Maharaja Uttanapada
- This impersonal feature, or Brahman manifestation, of the Supreme Lord is meant for persons who are essentially very advanced but still not able to understand the personal features or variegatedness of the spiritual world
- This important verse (SB 4.9.29) has been discussed by many stalwart commentators. Why was Dhruva Maharaja not very pleased, even after achieving the goal of life he desired?
- This is not the proper way to discharge devotional service (desiring some material benefit in exchange for service). Out of ignorance, of course, sometimes a devotee does so, but Dhruva Maharaja regrets his personal behavior in this connection
- This is the sign of a rajarsi. King Uttanapada was very opulent and was emperor of the world, and these attachments were certainly very great. Modern politicians are not as great as kings like Maharaja Uttanapada
- This planet (Dhruvaloka, or the polestar) is situated above the seven planetary systems of the rsis, and because this planet is Visnuloka, it is worshiped by all other planetary systems
- This program of constant remembrance can be disturbed by many things, but Dhruva Maharaja's life would be so pure, as assured by the Lord Himself, that Dhruva would never forget Him
- This spiritual enlivenment of Dhruva Maharaja's senses and mind was due to the action of the internal potency of the Lord
- This status of life (of a devotee) is possible only when a person is interested in associating with a pure devotee, who always enjoys the fragrance of the lotus feet of the Lord
- This unique planet, Dhruvaloka, was offered to Maharaja Dhruva. The specific significance of this planet is that until the entire universe is annihilated this planet will remain
- Those who are actually learned do not make any distinction between a learned scholar, a brahmana, an elephant, a dog and a candala. They do not see in terms of the external body; rather, they see the person as spirit soul
- Those who are addicted to material pleasure cannot be attracted to devotional service
- Those who are not devotees cannot understand the different forms of Visnu and their positions in regard to the creation
- To receive his great son Dhruva Maharaja, King Uttanapada arranged a good reception, and all the citizens very enthusiastically took part with great jubilation
- To those who constantly engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, the Lord, from within, dictates what to do next in order to serve Him
- Transcendental devotional service cannot be complete and cannot be relishable without the association of devotees. We have therefore established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
U
- Unless one comes in contact with a devotee it is not possible to understand the transcendental form or the spiritual world and its transcendental activities
- Unless one engages in the devotional service of the Lord, it is impossible to understand the ultimate form of the Lord
- Unless one is associated with devotees, his devotional service does not mature; it does not become distinct from material activities
- Unless one is spiritually situated, all his activities are taken as a dead man's activities or ghostly activities
- Unless people are Krsna conscious like Dhruva Maharaja, there will be no appreciable changes in government because people who hanker to attain political position by hook or by crook cannot think of the welfare of the people
V
- Vaisnava philosophers do not accept sayujya-mukti to be within the category of mukti. According to them, mukti means transferal to the loving service of the Lord from one's position of serving maya
- Voidist philosophers think that under certain material conditions the symptoms of life occur in the material body, but the fact is that the material body cannot act on its own
W
- We have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krishna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krsna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible
- We shall continuously perform the sankirtana-yajna and continuously chant the Hare Krsna mantra. Then at the end of our lives we shall certainly be able to remember Krsna, and our program of life will be successful
- We should mark the difference between maya and sva-dhama - for devotees the sva-dhama acts, whereas in the case of nondevotees the maya energy acts
- We should take the lesson that we should never try to insult a Vaisnava. Not only should we not insult a Vaisnava, but we should not insult anyone unnecessarily
- When a devotee becomes mature in his prosecution of devotional service, he sees face to face the same Syamasundara he has thought of during the entire course of his devotional service
- When a person actually enters the city and personally sees the activities of the city, he becomes satisfied
- When a person places himself at the disposal or order of the Supreme Lord, that is called sevonmukha; at that time the spiritual energy gradually reveals the Lord to him
- When a person undergoes severe austerities, the demigods become very much perturbed because they are always afraid of losing their posts as the predominating deities of the heavenly planets
- When a person who is a little advanced (in devotional service) and is therefore called a jnani advances even more, he is in the category of a jnana-misra-bhakta, or a devotee whose love is mixed with empiric knowledge
- When a Vaisnava king like Dhruva Maharaja is the head of the government of the entire world, the world is so happy that it is not possible to imagine or describe
- When Deities are installed, They are washed with milk, yogurt and water, and this ceremony is called abhiseka
- When Dhruva Maharaja became situated on the vasudeva platform due to seeing the Lord face to face, all his material contamination was cleared. Thus he became ashamed of what his demands were and what he had achieved
- When Dhruva Maharaja factually saw the SPG, there was no question of a revengeful attitude towards his stepmother nor any aspiration to lord it over the material world, but the Supreme Personality is so kind that He knew that Dhruva Maharaja wanted these
- When Dhruva Maharaja felt hesitant, not knowing how to describe the Lord for want of sufficient experience, the Lord, out of His causeless mercy, touched His conchshell to Dhruva's forehead, and he was transcendentally inspired
- When Dhruva Maharaja found this difference within himself (difference between his condition before & after attaining spiritual realization & seeing God face to face), he could immediately understand that it was because of the causeless mercy of the Lord
- When Dhruva Maharaja personally saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, he was very much agitated in awe and respect, and it appeared as if he were drinking the entire body of the Lord with his eyes
- When Dhruva Maharaja returned home he was not very much pleased, for although in pure devotional service there is no demand from the Lord, because of his childish nature he had demanded something
- When Dhruva Maharaja was away from his home, his father thought that he was dead
- When Dhruva Maharaja was in the forest executing his austerities, his father, Uttanapada, heard everything about his very wonderful activities
- When he (a person) is still further advanced (in devotional service), he can realize that the Absolute Truth is a person with multienergies
- When Hiranyakasipu asked immortality from Lord Brahma, Lord Brahma expressed his inability to offer such a benediction because he himself is not immortal
- When Lord Caitanya inquired from Ramananda Raya about the most famous man in this world, the latter replied that anyone who is known as a great devotee of the Lord is to be accepted as the most famous
- When Lord Krsna went to the heavenly planets with His wife Satyabhama He took a parijata flower tree from heaven and brought it to the earth. There was a fight between Krsna & the demigods due to the parijata tree's being taken from heaven to this planet
- When one is actually enlivened by the spiritual energy, all his senses become purified, and he engages only in the service of the Lord
- When one is transcendentally inspired, the sound he produces exactly corresponds to the sound vibration of the Vedas. This is not the ordinary sound vibration of this material world
- When one performs great sacrifices he must give charity, not only to the brahmanas, but also to the ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras. It is assured here (in SB 4.9.24) that Dhruva Maharaja would be able to perform such activities
- When one serves a Vaisnava unknowingly, one still gets the good result, and if one unknowingly insults a Vaisnava, one suffers the bad result. A Vaisnava is especially favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- When Suruci insulted Dhruva Maharaja, he was just a child. She of course did not know that Dhruva was a great recognized Vaisnava, and so her offense was committed unknowingly
- When the news reached the palace that Dhruva Maharaja was returning, his mother, Suniti, out of her great compassion & due to being the mother of a great Vaisnava, did not hesitate to take the other wife, Suruci, & her son, Uttama, on the same palanquin
- When the Supreme Personality disappeared from his (Dhruva Maharaja's) heart, he thought that he had lost Him. Dhruva Maharaja was perturbed, but upon opening his eyes and breaking his meditation he saw the same form of the Lord before him
- When there is a recommendation to become desireless, it is to be understood that this means that we should not desire anything for our sense gratification. For a devotee this state of mind, nihsprha, is the right position
- Whenever there is a crisis within this universe, the demigods go to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead Ksirodakasayi Visnu, and they stand on the beach of the Milk Ocean
- While Dhruva Maharaja was absent from his home, not only did he undergo severe austerities in the forest of Madhuvana, but at home also his mother (Queen Suniti) prayed to the Supreme Lord for his safety and good fortune
- With the progressive advance of each new yuga, the duration of human life is reduced by ninety percent - from one hundred thousand to ten thousand, from ten thousand to one thousand, and from one thousand to one hundred
- Without revelation by the spiritual energy, one is unable to offer prayers glorifying the Lord. Any amount of philosophical speculation or poetic expression by mundane persons is still considered to be the action and reaction of the material energy
Y
- Yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati : knowledge received through the transcendental, causeless mercy of the Lord is so perfect that by that knowledge the devotee becomes acquainted with all the different manifestations of the Lord
- Yogis are generally not very much interested in devotional service; they want to regulate the breathing process. This is simply a bodily concern
- Yogis generally meditate upon the transcendental form of Visnu, but devotees not only meditate upon Him but actually engage in the direct service of the Lord