Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 06 Chapter 01 Purports - The History of the Life of Ajamila: Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 20:36, 3 December 2020
Pages in category "Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 06 Chapter 01 Purports - The History of the Life of Ajamila"
The following 461 pages are in this category, out of 461 total.
A
- A combination of the material energy and the spiritual energy, the living entity, exists in every creation. Therefore the same principle, the combination of the supreme spirit and the material elements, is the cause of the cosmic manifestation
- A conditioned soul thinks that he is working stealthily and that no one can see his sinful activities
- A devotee is narayana-parayana, or vasudeva-parayana, which means that the path of Vasudeva, or the devotional path, is his life and soul
- A devotee of Krsna must refer not only to the Vedas, but also to the puranas
- A human being must be educated to understand his past life and how he can endeavor for a better life in the future
- A human being performs sinful actions simply for sense gratification. This is not good. Because of such sinful actions, one receives another body in which to suffer as he is suffering in his present body because of his past sinful activities
- A Krsna conscious grhastha should always be satisfied with one wife and be peaceful simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. Otherwise at any moment he may fall down from his good position, as exemplified in the case of Ajamila
- A Krsna conscious grhastha should always remember this. He should always be satisfied with one wife and be peaceful simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. Otherwise at any moment he may fall down from his good position
- A mahatma is one who engages twenty-four hours daily in the loving service of the Lord
- A man engages in sinful activities because he does not know what he did in his past life to get his present materially conditioned body, which is subjected to the threefold miseries
- A narayana-para devotee is unconcerned with hell and heaven; he is simply attached to rendering service to Krsna
- A person who does not have Vedic knowledge always acts in ignorance of what he has done in the past, what he is doing at the present and how he will suffer in the future. He is completely in darkness
- A person who has heard a good deal about the path of devotional service, but who is not attached to it, who is not Krsna conscious, is like a pot of liquor. Such a person cannot be purified without at least a slight touch of devotional service
- A person who performs sinful activities performs them with his body, mind and words. Therefore three order carriers from Yamaraja came to take Ajamila to Yamaraja's abode
- A physician who knows how to diagnose a disease prescribes medicine accordingly. If the disease is very serious, the medicine must be strong
- A self-realized person knows that he is not the body but a spiritual soul (aham brahmasmi). At the present moment practically everyone is unaware of this fact, but one who understands this has attained perfection and is therefore called siddha
- A servant must know the instructions of his master. The servants of Yamaraja claimed to be carrying out his orders, and therefore the Visnudutas very intelligently asked them to explain the symptoms of religious and irreligious principles
- A soul who has surrendered to Krsna certainly cannot go to naraka, hellish existence. To say nothing of going there, even in his dreams he does not see Yamaraja or his order carriers, who are able to take one there
- A Vaisnava is para-duhkha-duhkhi; in other words, he has no personal troubles, but he is very unhappy to see others in trouble
- A Vaisnava knows these principles (religious and irreligious) perfectly well because he is well acquainted with the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- A Vaisnava, one who has surrendered to the lotus feet of Lord Visnu, is always protected by Lord Visnu's order carriers
- Abhasa-rupa, a slight glimpse of devotional service
- According to his association with the material modes of nature - goodness, passion and ignorance - a living entity gets a particular type of body
- According to the desire and karma of the individual soul, the Lord, through the agency of maya, creates another body for him. The heart of the body is a mechanical arrangement
- According to the opinion of the acaryas, the word krama-yogopalabdhena indicates that by first performing karma-yoga and then jnana-yoga and finally coming to the platform of bhakti-yoga, one can be liberated
- According to the sinful activities of Ajamila, he was within the jurisdiction of Yamaraja, the supreme judge appointed to consider the sins of the living entities
- According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, & some are going down into the lower planetary systems
- According to Vedic culture, one should leave home as soon as he has reached fifty years of age; one should not live at home and go on producing children
- After seeing a man embracing a young woman and practically doing everything required for sex life, even a fully qualified brahmana, as described above (Ajamila), could not control his lusty desires and restrain himself from pursuing them
- Ajamila chanted the name of Narayana because of his excessive attachment to his son
- Ajamila was like a perfect brahmana. A brahmana is expected to be perfectly pious, to follow all the regulative principles and to have all good qualities
- Ajamila was not yet dead, for the Yamadutas were trying to snatch the soul from his heart. They could not take the soul
- Ajamila was simply in an unconscious state when the argument was in progress between the Yamadutas and the Visnudutas. The conclusion of the argument was to be a decision regarding who would claim the soul of Ajamila
- Ajamila, a qualified brahmana youth, lost all his brahminical qualities because of his association with a prostitute, but he was ultimately saved because he had begun the process of bhakti-yoga
- Ajamila, because of his association with a prostitute, lost all brahminical culture and became most sinful, even in his so-called household life
- Ajamila, did not glorify the form, qualities or paraphernalia of the Lord; he simply chanted the holy name. Nevertheless, that chanting was sufficient to cleanse him of all sinful activities
- All devotees, especially preachers, must know the philosophy of Krsna consciousness so as not to be embarrassed and insulted when they preach
- All learned and realized Vedic scholars speak with references to the incidents in the Puranas. Srila Rupa Gosvami accepts the Puranas to be as important as the Vedas themselves
- All living entities are rotating throughout the universe, going sometimes up to the higher planetary systems and sometimes down to the lower planets. This is the material disease, which is known as pravrtti-marga
- All the disciples practicing Krsna consciousness should obediently follow the regulative principles & remain fixed in chanting the holy name of the Lord. Then there need be no fear. Otherwise one's position is very dangerous, especially in this Kali-yuga
- All the great authorities of bhakti-yoga recommend the devotional process beginning with the chanting of the holy name of Krsna
- All the residents of Vaikunthaloka know perfectly well that their master is Narayana, or Krsna, and that they are all His servants. They are all self-realized souls who are nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated
- Although Ajamila completely forgot Narayana, he was calling his child, saying, "Narayana, please come eat this food. Narayana, please come drink this milk." Somehow or other, therefore, he was attached to the name Narayana. This is called ajnata-sukrti
- Although at the time of death he (Ajamila) was chanting the name of his son, he nevertheless concentrated his mind upon the holy name of Narayana
- Although calling for his son, he (Ajamila) was unknowingly chanting the name of Narayana, and the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so transcendentally powerful that his chanting was being counted and recorded
- Although he (Ajamila) was referring to the small child and not to the original Narayana, the name of Narayana is so powerful that even by chanting his son's name he was becoming purified
- Although Maharaja Pariksit was a pure devotee, Sukadeva Gosvami did not immediately speak to him about the strength of devotional service
- Although people are generally punished after the witnesses of their misdeeds are examined, where are the witnesses responsible for one's suffering the reactions of past karma? the answer by the Yamadutas is given here - in SB 6.1.42
- Although the contaminated Ajamila was calling for his son, by concentrating his mind on the holy name of Narayana he remembered the Narayana he had very faithfully worshiped in his youth
- Although they (the residents of Vaikuntha) could conceivably declare themselves Narayana or Visnu, they never do so; they always remain Krsna conscious and serve the Lord faithfully. Such is the atmosphere of Vaikunthaloka
- Arjuna, for example, thinking that violence was adharma, was declining to fight, but Krsna urged him to fight. Arjuna abided by the orders of Krsna, and therefore he is actually a dharmi because the order of Krsna is dharma
- As fog is vanquished at the first glimpse of sunlight, one's sinful reactions are automatically vanquished as soon as one begins serving a pure devotee; no separate endeavor is required
- As for atonement, if one has caught even a slight glimpse of devotional service, all needs to undergo prayascitta, atonement, are superseded
- As long as one is materially attached, he wants to be elevated to the heavenly planets because of his attraction to the material world. The Supreme Personality of Godhead declares, however, "Those who worship Me come to Me"
- As soon as one is reclaimed to the platform of devotional service, he relinquishes his attachment for pious and impious activities and is interested only in what will satisfy Krsna
- As soon as spring arrives, the usual exhibition of various types of fruits and flowers automatically becomes manifest, and therefore we may conclude that spring in the past was adorned with similar fruits and flowers and will be so adorned in the future
- As soon as the Visnudutas heard their master's name being chanted, they immediately came
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.19), one attains real knowledge when he understands Krsna and surrenders unto Him
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita (BG 8.6): Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail
- As stated in Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38): Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes
- As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 5.18.12): One who has unflinching devotion to the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods
- At the appropriate time, one's next body is immediately chosen, and both the individual soul and the Supersoul transfer to that particular bodily machine. This is the process of transmigration
- At the end of his life, by chanting the four syllables of the name Narayana, he (Ajamila) was saved from the gravest danger of falling down
- At the time of dissolution, Lord Brahma, along with all the inhabitants of Brahmaloka, goes directly to the spiritual world. This is confirmed in the Vedas
- Atheists try to conceal the hand of God, which is present in every creation, but they cannot explain how all these creations could come into existence without a competent intelligence and almighty power behind them
- Atonement is certainly unnecessary when one has achieved spontaneous love and, above that, attachment with love, which are signs of increasing advancement in kadacitki. Even in the stage of abhasa-rupa bhakti, all the reactions of sinful life are uprooted
- Atonement is required, and atonement must be undergone according to the gravity of one's sinful acts
B
- Because a Vaisnava fully takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he personally has no problems, but because he is compassionate toward the fallen, conditioned souls, he is always thinking of plans to save them from their hellish life
- Because Ajamila constantly chanted his son's name, Narayana, he was elevated to the platform of bhakti, although he did not know it
- Because Ajamila had chanted the holy name of Narayana, the Visnudutas not only immediately arrived on the spot but also at once ordered the Yamadutas not to touch him
- Because Ajamila was extremely afraid of the ropes of Yamaraja, he chanted the Lord's name with tearful eyes. Actually, however, he never meant to chant the holy name of Narayana; he meant to call his son
- Because of disobeying the Supreme Lord, one is put into material conditions, and he then tries to improve his situation in a concocted way, not desiring to follow the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Because of his (Ajamila's) past good fortune in having rendered devotional service to Narayana, he apparently chanted the holy name in full devotional service and without offenses
- Because of ignorance, one speculatively thinks himself liberated from material contamination although actually he is not
- Because of prarabdha, sinful reactions that have already fructified, one is seen to have taken birth in a low family or to be suffering from other miseries
- Because of the force of materialistic life, to maintain self-control is extremely difficult unless one is specifically under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service
- Because of the influence of the various modes of nature, the living entities have various tendencies or propensities, and therefore they are qualified to achieve various destinations
- Because of their exalted position, those who are on Brahmaloka at the time of dissolution go directly back home, back to Godhead, along with Lord Brahma
- Because the Lord is perfect, everything works as if He were directly supervising and taking part in it. Atheistic men, however, being covered by the three modes of material nature, cannot see Narayana to be the supreme cause behind all activities
- Because the root of sinful desire is not destroyed in the heart of a person who is cultivating knowledge but who has no taste for devotional service, there is a possibility that his sinful desires will reappear
- Because unintelligent agnostics are mohita, illusioned by the three modes of material nature, they cannot understand that Narayana, Krsna, is the supreme cause of all activities
- Before even being introduced to a foreigner, one becomes acquainted with him through his dress, bodily features and behavior and can thus understand his position. Therefore when the Yamadutas saw the Visnudutas for the first time, they were surprised
- Bhagavata-dharma comprises only that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Bhakti is so powerful that it is also said to be moksa-laghutakrt; in other words, it minimizes the importance of liberation
- Bhakti is the path that is appropriate, not the paths of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda
- Bhakti may be divided into two divisions: (1) santata, devotional service that continues incessantly with faith and love, and (2) kadacitki, devotional service that does not continue incessantly but is sometimes awakened
- Bhakti-yoga begins with sravanam kirtanam visnoh (SB 7.5.23), hearing and chanting of Lord Visnu's names, as in the maha-mantra - Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
- Bhakti-yoga itself is so powerful that even an impious man with no assets in karma-yoga or an illiterate with no assets in jnana-yoga can undoubtedly be elevated to the spiritual world if he simply adheres to bhakti-yoga
- Bhaktivinoda Thakura sang: My dear Lord, I cannot remember when I somehow or other fell into this ocean of nescience, and now I can find no way to rescue myself
- Both pious and impious activities are actually due to ignorance because a living entity, as an eternal servant of Krsna, has no need to act for his personal sense gratification
- Brahmacarya, the life of celibacy, has eight aspects
- By killing a murderer the government shows mercy to him because if a murderer is not killed in this life, he will be killed and forced to suffer many times in future lives
- By speaking with resounding voices, the Visnudutas threatened to punish the Yamadutas if they continued trying to snatch Ajamila's soul from his heart
- By the grace of the Supersoul, he (Yamaraja) can see the past, present and future of a living being from within
- By the process of bhakti-yoga one undoubtedly goes back to Godhead, back home to the spiritual world
C
- Chanting is the beginning of bhakti-yoga
- Complete control of the mind and senses and their complete concentration on one kind of activity is called tapah
- Customarily everyone is eligible to inherit his father's property, and Ajamila also inherited the money of his father. But what did he do with the money? Instead of engaging the money in the service of Krsna, he engaged it in the service of a prostitute
D
- Describing the history of Ajamila's life, the Yamadutas relate that in the beginning he was a learned scholar of the Vedic literature. He was well behaved, neat and clean, and very kind to everyone. In fact, he had all good qualities
- Devahuti said to Kapiladeva: My dear Lord, if even a person born in a family of dog-eaters hears and repeats the chanting of Your glories, offers respects to You and remembers You, he is immediately greater than a brahmana
- Devotional service is necessary not to drive away an insignificant stock of sins, but to awaken our dormant love for Krsna
- Devotional service is so strong that if one fully surrenders to Krsna and takes fully to His devotional service, the reactions of his sinful life immediately stop
- Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upanisads, Puranas and Narada Pancaratra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society
- Devotional service, which begins with chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if one falls down from the exalted position of a brahmana through sexual indulgence, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants
- Dharma is not actually manufactured by Narayana. the injunctions of dharma emanate from the breathing of Narayana, the supreme living entity
- Dharma not supported by the Vedas is rejected from srimad-bhagavata-dharma
- Directly or indirectly, Ajamila factually remembered Narayana at the time of death
- DS is so powerful that even if one falls down from the exalted position of a brahmana through sexual indulgence, he can be saved from all calamities if he chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord's holy name
- During transmigration from one body to the next, the soul is taken away by the order carriers of Yamaraja and put into a particular type of hellish life (naraka) in order to become accustomed to the condition in which he will live in his next body
E
- Especially in this age, human society is covered by the mode of ignorance, and therefore everyone thinks his present body to be everything, without consideration of the past or future
- Even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger
- Even if one has a desire to commit sinful actions, the roots of that desire are vanquished merely by abhasa-rupa bhakti - a slight glimpse of devotional service
- Even if one rises to brahma jnana, understanding of Brahman, one nevertheless falls down because of not taking shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna
- Even one who does not want to commit sinful acts will be forced to do so by habit. Pariksit Maharaja therefore considered the process of atonement to have little value for saving one from sinful acts
- Even those who take advantage of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda, but are not at least slightly devoted cannot be purified simply by following these other paths
- Even though he has a human body, a person in the mode of ignorance and interested only in his present body is like an animal, for an animal, being covered by ignorance, thinks that the ultimate goal of life and happiness is to eat as much as possible
- Even though Narayana and Vasudeva are not different from Krsna, simply by surrendering to Krsna one fully surrenders to all His expansions, such as Narayana, Vasudeva and Govinda
- Everyone engages in work with his hands, legs and other senses just to achieve a certain goal according to his concocted ideas
- Everyone is responsible for his own life. If an individual becomes a pure devotee of Krsna, he is then delivered from the ocean of nescience
- Everything depends on bhagavan, or ajah, the unborn
F
- Food prepared by an unclean, sinful man or woman, especially a prostitute, is extremely infectious. Ajamila ate such food, and therefore he was subject to be punished by Yamaraja
- For a brahmacari to remain steady is very difficult unless he is extremely strong in following the regulative principles
- For karma-kanda there are eighty authorized scriptures, such as Manu-samhita, which are known as dharma-sastras. In these scriptures one is advised to counteract his sinful acts by performing other types of fruitive action
- Fortunately, even though Ajamila was referring to his son, Ajamila chanted the four syllables of the hari-nama Narayana, and therefore the order carriers of Narayana, the Visnudutas, also immediately arrived there
H
- Hari-kirtana is actually meant to glorify the holy name, form, pastimes and qualities of the Lord. Ajamila, however, did not glorify the form, qualities or paraphernalia of the Lord; he simply chanted the holy name
- He (a human being) performs sinful actions simply for sense gratification
- He (a qualified brahmana) can understand what his past life was, why he is in the present body, & how he can obtain liberation from the clutches of maya & not accept another material body. This is all possible when one is situated in the mode of goodness
- He (Ajamila) was condemned and was punishable by Yamaraja. How did this happen? He was victimized by the dangerous lustful glance of a prostitute
- He (Maharaja Pariksit) reminded his spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami, about the nivrtti-marga, or path of liberation
- He (Maharaja Pariksit) was very much concerned with how to liberate the conditioned souls from the clutches of maya and take them back home, back to Godhead
- He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) is able to remain in His own abode and without endeavor supervise and manipulate the entire cosmic manifestation through the interaction of the three modes of material nature
- Here (in SB 6.1.4-5) the words yathedam asrjad vibhuh clearly indicate that the Supreme, the great, almighty Personality of Godhead, created this entire material world with its different varieties of planets, stars and so forth
- How devotional service vanquishes the reactions of sinful life is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 3.33.6) in a verse spoken during Lord Kapiladeva's instructions to His mother, Devahuti
- Human beings, who are advanced in consciousness, are responsible, but not all of them are punishable
I
- If a brahmacari or sannyasi talks with a woman in a secluded place, naturally there will be a possibility of sex life without anyone's knowledge. Therefore a complete brahmacari practices just the opposite
- If a human being is taught to change his subtle body by developing a consciousness of Krsna, at the time of death the subtle body will create a gross body in which he will be a devotee of Krsna
- If a human being is taught to change his subtle body by developing a consciousness of Krsna, or if he is still more perfect, he will immediately get a spiritual body and thus return home, back to Godhead. This is the process of the transmigration
- If at the time of sex the secretions of the mother are more profuse than those of the father, the child will receive a female body, and if the secretions of the father are more profuse than those of the mother, the child will receive a male body
- If by studying Bhagavad-gita one decides to surrender to Krsna, he is immediately freed from all sinful reactions
- If by the grace of Krsna one adheres to the regulative principles and chants the Hare Krsna mantra, Krsna will certainly protect him. Indeed, Krsna says that His devotee is never vanquished
- If even a person born in a family of dog-eaters hears & repeats the chanting of Your glories (God's), he is immediately greater than a brahmana & is therefore eligible to perform sacrifices. Therefore, what is to be said of one who has seen You directly
- If illicit sex is allowed to increase in a society, however, the entire society will be condemned, for it will be full of rogues, thieves, cheaters and so forth
- If in the association of Krsna, after giving up his gross material body, one accepts not another gross body but a spiritual body in which to return home, back to Godhead. Thus one ends the tribulation caused by his association with the material energy
- If instead of serving maya under different names, one turns his service attitude toward the Supreme Lord, he is then safe, and there is no more difficulty
- If one can control the tongue, brahmacarya and other purifying processes will automatically follow
- If one changes his consciousness, however, and associates with the supreme, original person (purusam sasvatam), or with His associates, he can get out of the entanglement of material nature
- If one desires liberation from the clutches of maya, one must associate with a pure devotee mahatma
- If one engages in the service of a pure devotee, the reactions of one's sinful life are vanquished automatically
- If one has even a slight relationship with devotional service, all the fog of his sinful life is immediately vanquished
- If one has no information about the Lord and His abode, one tries to be elevated only to a higher material position, but when one concludes that in this material world there is nothing but repeated birth and death, he tries to return back to Godhead
- If one has no information about the Supreme Lord and His abode, one tries to be elevated only to a higher material position
- If one is a perfect brahmacari, he can very easily control the mind and senses, give charity, speak truthfully and so forth. To begin, however, one must control the tongue and the process of eating
- If one is advanced in Krsna consciousness, material activities, both sinful and pious, automatically become distasteful to him. That is the test of Krsna consciousness. Both pious and impious activities are actually due to ignorance
- If one is struggling in the ocean, he must swim through it alone. Although many other men and aquatics are swimming in the ocean, he must take care of himself because no one else will help him
- If one never for a moment forgets Krsna, he is safe even if by chance he falls down by committing sinful acts
- If one returns to his original, natural tendency in the human form of life by understanding the perfect knowledge given by Krsna Himself in the Vedic literature, one's life is successful
- If one sincerely surrenders to Krsna once, he is saved even if by chance he falls down by committing sinful activities
- If one studies Vedanta but merely advances somewhat in speculative knowledge and does not understand the Supreme Lord, one remains the same mudha
- If one takes to devotional service, all kinds of unnecessary labor and material distress cease entirely and one achieves all good fortune
- If one takes to Krsna consciousness very seriously, he can withstand the provocation created by sin
- If one wants to continue his association with prakrti, the female energy of Krsna, and be separated from Krsna by the illusion that he is able to enjoy prakrti, he must continue in his conditional life
- If one wants to save himself from falling into naraka, hellish life, he should fully surrender to Krsna
- If one's mind is somehow or other attracted by the holy name of Krsna, one is on the path of liberation
- Illicit sex is not possible with a chaste or aristocratic woman, but only with unchaste sudras. The more society allows prostitution and illicit sex, the more impetus it gives to cheaters, thieves, plunderers, drunkards and gamblers
- In any case, one receives an inferior or superior body at the discretion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramatma
- In Bhagavad-gita (6.17) Krsna says: He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 10.8), the Lord says, aham sarvasya prabhavo: "I am the origin of everything." Mattah sarvam pravartate: "whatever exists in the creation emanates from Me"
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 10.8), the Lord says, When one fully understands that I create everything by My omnipotence, one becomes firmly situated in devotional service and fully surrenders at My lotus feet
- In Bhagavad-gita it is advised that one not forget the chanting of the holy name even for a moment
- In Bhagavad-gita it is said that the force of material nature is insurmountably strong
- In Bhagavad-gita, karmis, who are lacking in knowledge, are compared to asses
- In India even today the Hindu community often takes advice from expert scholars regarding how to counteract sinful activities. In Christianity also there is a process of confession and atonement
- In India there is still a class of servants, called sudras, whose maidservant wives are called sudranis. Sometimes people who are very lusty establish relationships with such maidservants and sweeping women
- In Kali-yuga, a drunk, half-naked woman embracing a drunk man is a very common sight, especially in the Western countries, and restraining oneself after seeing such things is very difficult
- In material life there are many disturbances (adhyatmika, adhidaivika and adhibhautika). One who has learned to tolerate these disturbances under all circumstances is called dhira
- In our Krsna consciousness movement we prohibit illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling
- In response to the inquiries of Pariksit Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami, his guru, could have immediately explained the principle of bhakti, but to test Pariksit Maharaja's intelligence, he first prescribed atonement according to karma-kanda
- In some religious sects a sinful man goes to a priest to confess his sinful acts and pay a fine, but then he again commits the same sins and returns to confess them again. This is the practice of a professional sinner
- In Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 11.14.19) Lord Krsna tells Uddhava: My dear Uddhava, devotional service in relationship with Me is like a blazing fire that can burn to ashes all the fuel of sinful activities supplied to it
- In the bhakti-marga, the path of devotional service, one must strictly follow the regulative principles by first controlling the tongue
- In the higher statuses of society they (people) cannot indulge in the habit of woman hunting, which is strictly prohibited by social convention
- In the Upanisads it is said that the Supersoul and the individual soul are living in the same tree of the body as two friendly birds
- In this age of Kali, however, such sin (drunkenness) is to be seen everywhere, for people all over the world have become shameless. Long ago, when he saw the scene of the drunken sudra & the prostitute, Ajamila, who was a perfect brahmacari, was affected
- Incessantly flowing devotional service (santata) may be divided into two categories: (1) service performed with slight attachment and (2) spontaneous devotional service
- Instead of trying to unite human society through pacts for sense gratification that can never be achieved, it is clearly desirable to teach people how to become Krsna conscious and return home, back to Godhead. This is true now and, indeed, at any time
- Intermittent devotional service (kadacitki) may be divided into three categories: (1) ragabhasamayi, (2) ragabhasa-sunya-svarupa-bhuta, and (3) abhasa-rupa, a slight glimpse of devotional service
- It is customary in Hindu society for parents to give their children names like Krsnadasa, Govinda dasa, Narayana dasa and Vrndavana dasa. Thus they chant the names Krsna, Govinda, Narayana and Vrndavana and get the chance to be purified
- It is from the heart that the Yamadutas were extracting the soul of Ajamila. Similarly, we learn that the Supersoul, Lord Visnu, is also situated within the heart
- It is said that if one's body is smeared with turmeric, it attracts the lusty desires of the opposite sex
- It may also be concluded that Ajamila, who was the son of a brahmana, was accustomed to worshiping Narayana in his youth because in every brahmana's house there is worship of the narayana-sila
- It may be concluded that dharma, religion, refers to that which is ordered in the Vedas, and adharma, irreligion, refers to that which is not supported in the Vedas
K
- Karmis who engage in sinful acts and who do not know the true objective of life are called mudhas, asses
- Krsna confirms in Bhagavad-gita (BG 14.26): One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down under any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the spiritual platform
- Krsna explains in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.3): Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth
- Krsna recommends to neophyte devotees that one should surrender unto Him only (mam ekam). Because neophyte devotees cannot understand what the forms of Narayana, Vasudeva and Govinda are, Krsna directly says, mam ekam
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (7.19): After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 15.15), "The real purpose of veda, knowledge, is to know Me." One who knows Krsna perfectly is liberated
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 18.66): Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.9): One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.13): Deluded by the three modes, the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.15): Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, & who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.15): Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.7), mattah parataram nanyat: "There is no truth superior to Me." There are many names and forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Krsna is the supreme form
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 9.13): O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the SPG, original and inexhaustible
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 9.30): Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated
- Krsna tells Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita (2.14): O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons
L
- Liberation means giving up this false consciousness and reviving one's original service to the Lord. This return to one's original life is called mukti
- Long ago, when he saw the scene of the drunken sudra and the prostitute, Ajamila, who was a perfect brahmacari, was affected. Nowadays such sin is visible in so many places, and we must consider the position of a brahmacari student who sees such behavior
- Lord Krsna urges that one give up all other duties and surrender to Him, and He promises, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami: "I shall free you from all sinful reactions and give you liberation
M
- Maharaja Pariksit, who at the time of death was fortunate to have met Sukadeva Gosvami, inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami about the path of liberation at that crucial time. Sukadeva Gosvami very much appreciated his question and congratulated him
- Material nature harasses the living entity in different bodies, but if the living entity surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes free from this entanglement. Thus his life becomes successful
- Materialistic scientists do not know where to find the soul within the body with their material instruments, but this verse (SB 6.1.31) clearly explains that the soul is within the core of the heart - hrdaya
- Mayavadis generally allege that the bhakti path is for women and illiterates. This is a groundless accusation. The bhakti path is followed by the most learned scholars, such as the Gosvamis, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramanujacarya
- Mayavadis may be susilah sadhavah (well-behaved saintly persons), but there is nevertheless some doubt about whether they are actually making progress, for they have not accepted the path of bhakti
N
- Narayana does not speak personally, but Krsna, or Vasudeva, does, as in Bhagavad-gita for example. Therefore, to follow the direction of Bhagavad-gita means to surrender unto Krsna, and to surrender in this way is the highest perfection of bhakti-yoga
- Narayana exists eternally and breathes eternally, and therefore dharma, the injunctions of Narayana, also exist eternally
- Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is almighty, omnipotent. He has multifarious energies
- Narottama dasa Thakura therefore says, karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, kevala visera bhanda. Thus Narottama dasa Thakura compares the paths of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda to pots of poison. Liquor and poison are in the same category
- Nondevotees must undergo material hardships because they are prone to commit sinful fruitive activities. The desire to commit sinful actions continues in their hearts due to ignorance
- Now Sukadeva Gosvami is suggesting the platform of speculative knowledge. Progressing from karma-kanda to jnana-kanda, he is proposing, prayascittam vimarsanam: "Real atonement is full knowledge"
- Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma: a human being who is mad after sense gratification does not hesitate to act sinfully
O
- On the platform of jnana one thinks that he has been liberated and has become Narayana, or Bhagavan. This is another phase of ignorance
- One is gradually purified if one cultivates knowledge, even through mental speculation, and strictly follows the regulative principles enjoined in the sastras
- One must accept the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender to Him and whatever He says. That is dharma
- One must approach a spiritual master who has full knowledge of the Vedas and be faithfully directed by him in order to become a devotee of the Lord. Then the knowledge of the Vedas will be revealed
- One must follow the path of the mahajanas. The mahajanas are those who have taken to the path of devotional service
- One must render service to a Vaisnava in order to get freed from sinful reactions, revive one's original Krsna consciousness and be trained in how to love Krsna. This is the result of mahatma-seva
- One must simply understand the Supreme Person, Krsna, in terms of His form, name, activities and pastimes. This will keep one always in the association of Krsna
- One should adhere to the lotus feet of Krsna very tightly and serve Him under the direction of the spiritual master. Thus in all conditions one will be akuto-bhaya, free from fear
- One should be enlightened in the tenets of Bhagavad-gita and accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that one give up all natural tendencies for material service under different names and take to the service of the Lord
- One should be satisfied with his married wife, for even a slight deviation will create havoc. A Krsna conscious grhastha should always remember this
- One should fearlessly follow the twelve mahajanas and their line of disciplic succession and thus be liberated from the clutches of maya
- One should follow the mahajana, the authorized person. Yamaraja is one of twelve authorities. Therefore the servants of Yamaraja, the Yamadutas, replied with perfect clarity when they said susruma - we have heard
- One should not commit sinful activities on the strength of having surrendered to Krsna. However, even if one who has surrendered to Krsna happens to do something sinful because of his former habits, such sinful actions no longer have a destructive effect
- One should not consider Yamaraja an ordinary living being. He is as good as Lord Brahma. He has the complete cooperation of the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart
- One should not even think of women or look at them, to say nothing of talking with them. This is called first-class brahmacarya
- One should not foolishly consider the Puranas mythological. If they were mythological, Sukadeva Gosvami would not have taken the trouble to recite the old historical incidents concerning the life of Ajamila
- One should not think of women, speak about sex life, dally with women, look lustfully at women, talk intimately with women or decide to engage in sexual intercourse, nor should one endeavor for sex life or engage in sex life
- One should not think that the person who takes to bhakti is one who cannot perform the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the karma-kanda section of the Vedas or is not sufficiently educated to speculate on spiritual subjects
- One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krsna favorably & without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service
- One tries to enjoy the five sense objects, namely form, sound, taste, aroma and touch, not knowing the actual goal of life, which is to satisfy the Supreme Lord
- One who does not take to devotional service must follow the decision of these scriptures (such as Manu-samhita) by performing pious acts to counteract his impious acts. This is known as atonement
- One who has not surrendered to Krsna does not know the true principle of religion; otherwise he would have surrendered
- One who has the power to punish others should not punish everyone
- One who is in complete darkness cannot know what his past life was or what his next life will be; he is simply interested in his present body
- One who is interested only in his present body and who tries to enjoy his senses to the fullest extent is understood to be engrossed in the mode of ignorance. His future is very, very dark
- One who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service
- One who learns the faithful service of Lord Krsna through the Krsna consciousness movement will always remain in Vaikunthaloka and have nothing to do with the material world
- One who performs auspicious activity is never overcome by evil
- One who represents someone else must fully know that person's mission. The devotees in the Krsna consciousness movement must therefore be fully aware of the mission of Krsna and Lord Caitanya; otherwise they will be considered foolish
- One who understands Krsna and abides by His order is a candidate for returning home, back to Godhead
- One's birth & death cease and one gradually progresses to Brahmaloka, unless one is a pure devotee who does not care about going to the higher planetary systems, in which case one immediately returns home, back to Godhead, by executing devotional service
- One's body is created through the agency of maya (karmana daiva-netrena (SB 3.31.1)), and according to one's activities in this life, another vehicle is created, again under the supervision of daivi maya
- One's natural tendency is to serve because a living entity is an eternal servant of God
- One's only hope, as Krsna advises, is to surrender to Him, for He can help one become free from the ocean of nescience
- One's original natural tendency is to act in Krsna consciousness because one's real nature is spiritual
- Only a small fraction of the living entities, perhaps one fourth, are in the material world. And the major portion of the living entities in the material world - 8,000,000 of the 8,400,000 forms of life - are lower than human beings
- Our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching people how to concentrate the mind on devotional service. This is first-class tapah
- Our past and future are not very difficult to understand, for time is under the contamination of the three modes of material nature. As soon as spring arrives, the usual exhibition of various types of fruits and flowers automatically becomes manifest
- Our repetition of birth and death is taking place within time, and according to the influence of the modes of nature, we are receiving various types of bodies and being subjected to various conditions
- Out of millions of persons, one may try to become siddha, perfect - or, in other words, self-realized. A self-realized person knows that he is not the body but a spiritual soul
P
- Pariksit Maharaja anxiously wanted to know from Sukadeva Gosvami how humanity can be saved from gliding down to hell
- Pariksit Maharaja had inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami how one can be saved from falling into the various conditions of hellish life. Sukadeva Gosvami answers that a soul who has surrendered to Krsna certainly cannot go to naraka, hellish existence
- Pariksit Maharaja saw that the process of repeatedly sinning and atoning is pointless
- Pariksit Maharaja was astonished that the living entities in the conditional stage do not accept the path of liberation, devotional service, instead of suffering in so many hellish conditions. This is the symptom of a Vaisnava
- Pariksit Maharaja was very eager to hear from Sukadeva Gosvami about the path of liberation for the conditioned soul
- Pariksit Maharaja's observations indicate that even five thousand years ago it was the practice of criminals to atone for their crimes but then commit the same crimes again, as if forced to do so
- Pariksit Maharaja's question was how to be freed from falling down into hell or into the hands of the Yamadutas. In reply, Sukadeva Gosvami is citing this old historical example (of Ajamila) to convince Pariksit Maharaja of the potency of bhakti-yoga
- Pariksit Maharaja, being compassionate toward the conditioned souls suffering in hellish life, suggested that Sukadeva Gosvami continue describing the path of liberation
- People bewildered by material conditions try to be united, but although they strive for unity among men and nations, all their attempts are futile. Everyone must struggle alone for existence with the many elements of nature
- People who commit sinful acts are forced to enter hellish planets and suffer. Now Maharaja Pariksit, being a devotee, is concerned with how this can be stopped
- Performing karma-yoga and then jnana-yoga and finally coming to the platform of bhakti-yoga, one can be liberated. Bhakti-yoga, however, is so powerful that it does not depend on karma-yoga or jnana-yoga
- Persons whose hearts are always attached to the devotional service of Lord Visnu are immediately released from all the reactions of sinful life
- Practical effectiveness (of chanting) will be explained by Sukadeva Gosvami through the history of Ajamila, who was freed from the hands of the Yamadutas simply because of chanting the holy name of Narayana
- Practically no one understands Krsna as He is, for Krsna cannot be understood through pious activities or attainment of the most elevated speculative knowledge. Actually the highest knowledge consists of understanding Krsna
- Prahlada Maharaja said, My Lord, I do have a problem, however, for I am simply thinking of these rascals & fools who are busy with maya-sukha, temporary happiness, without knowledge of devotional service unto You. This is the problem faced by a Vaisnava
- Prahlada Maharaja said, My Lord, I have no personal problems, for I have learned how to glorify Your transcendental qualities and thus enter a trance of ecstasy
- Process of bhakti, devotional service to Krsna (vasudeva-parayana), relieves one from the reactions of all activities
- Prostitute hunting is so abominable that the desire for sex with a prostitute can ruin one's character, destroy one's exalted position & plunder all one's money. Therefore illicit sex is strictly prohibited
- Punishment by Yamaraja is a process of purification for the most abominable sinful persons
- Punishment by Yamaraja is a process of purification for the most abominable sinful persons. Therefore the Yamadutas requested the Visnudutas not to obstruct their taking Ajamila to Yamaraja
R
- Ragabhasa-sunya-svarupa-bhuta, devotional service in which there is no spontaneous love but one likes the constitutional position of serving
- Ragabhasamayi, devotional service in which one is almost attached
- Reactions generally exist in four phases. Some of them are ready to produce results immediately, some are in the form of seeds, some are unmanifested, and some are current. All such reactions are immediately nullified by devotional service
- Regardless of how many times he is punished, one who is attached to sense enjoyment will commit sinful acts again and again until he is trained to refrain from enjoying his senses
- Restraint is difficult, but it is possible if one fully surrenders to Krsna, since these abominable habits gradually become distasteful for a Krsna conscious person. If illicit sex is allowed to increase in a society, the entire society will be condemned
- Restraint is very difficult, but it is quite possible if one fully surrenders to Krsna, since all these abominable habits (illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication) gradually become distasteful for a Krsna conscious person
S
- Sex life is allowed for twenty-five years, between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five or, at the most, fifty. After that one should give up the habit of sex life and leave home as a vanaprastha and then properly take sannyasa
- Simply to imagine or speculate is a waste of time
- Since Ajamila had not undergone atonement for his sinful acts, he was to be taken to Yamaraja to be purified
- Since Maharaja Pariksit was a great devotee. the answers of his guru, Sukadeva Gosvami, concerning karma-kanda and jnana-kanda could not satisfy him
- Since Maharaja Pariksit was a Vaisnava, when he heard the description, at the end of the Fifth Canto, of the different hellish conditions of life, he was very much concerned
- Since people are becoming atheists, they are stopping capital punishment. This is not wise
- Since people do not know about the next life and the intricate workings of nature, they manufacture their own laws, but they should properly consult the established injunctions of the sastras and act accordingly
- Since the old man (Ajamila) was very attached to the child, he enjoyed the child's activities, and because the child's name was Narayana, the old man always chanted the holy name of Narayana
- Since the Yamadutas are servants of Yamaraja, who is also one of the siddha-sattamas, they knew that a siddha-sattama is above the demigods and sub-demigods and, indeed, above all the living entities within this material world
- Sinful actions are divided into three categories - pataka, maha-pataka and atipataka
- Sinful actions are divided into two divisions; prarabdha and aprarabdha. Prarabdha refers to sinful reactions from which one is suffering at the present, and aprarabdha refers to sources of potential suffering
- Sinful life is due to ignorance, which means forgetfulness of one's constitutional position as an eternal servant of God, but when one is fully Krsna conscious he realizes that he is God's eternal servant
- Some people are very happy, some are very distressed, and some are in mixed happiness and distress. This is the result of past association with the modes of material nature - goodness, passion and ignorance
- Somehow or other Ajamila was attached to the name Narayana. This is called ajnata-sukrti. Although calling for his son, he was unknowingly chanting the name of Narayana
- Somehow or other one must be enlightened about his past, present and future
- Somehow or other, Ajamila consciously or unconsciously chanted the name of Narayana at the time of death (ante narayana-smrtih), and therefore he became all-perfect simply by concentrating his mind on the name of Narayana
- Speculators may fall down and become implicated in fruitive activities. If one becomes attached to devotional service, however, his desires for material enjoyment are automatically vanquished without separate endeavor
- Speculators who undergo great labor to gain a meticulous understanding of the material world by distinguishing between sinful and pious activities, but who are not situated in devotional service, are prone to material activities
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu declares: In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed: O Krsna, beloved son of Nanda Maharaja, I am Your eternal servant, but somehow or other I have fallen into this ocean of nescience, and although I am struggling very hard, there is no way I can save myself
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed: O Krsna, If You kindly pick me up and fix me as one of the particles of dust at Your lotus feet, that will save me
- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung: My dear brothers, sometimes you are drowning in the waves of material nature, and sometimes you are tossed like a swimmer struggling in the ocean
- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung: My dear brothers, you are being carried away by the waves of material energy and are suffering in many miserable conditions
- Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has said, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba: Without serving a bona fide spiritual master, an ideal Vaisnava, who can be delivered from the clutches of maya
- Srila Rupa Gosvami has advised that atyahara, too much eating, is an impediment to advancement in spiritual life
- Such a devotee who is narayana-parayana, or vasudeva-parayana is not afraid of going anywhere
- Such an attitude (of a devotee who thinks that everything is Krsna's mercy) is possible for a devotee who engages in the service of Krsna's representative. This is the secret of success
- Sukadeva Gosvami had already explained how people enter hellish life, and he could also explain how they could be saved from it. Intelligent men must take advantage of these instructions
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial for all kinds of people. The answer to this question is the prime subject matter for hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists - SB 2.1.1
- Sukadeva Gosvami spoke of the person who has only once surrendered himself at the lotus feet of the Lord (manah krsna-padaravindayoh) or has just begun the bhakti-yoga process
- Sukadeva Gosvami tested the intelligence of Maharaja Pariksit, who passed the examination by refusing to accept this process (of atonement) as genuine. Now Pariksit Maharaja is expecting another answer from his spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami
- Sukadeva Gosvami wants to impress upon the mind of the reader (in SB 6.1.63) that Ajamila's exalted position as a brahmana was vanquished by his association with the prostitute, so much so that he forgot all his brahminical activities
- Sukadeva Gosvami, having several times repeated the words vasudeva-parayana and narayana-parayana, finally says krsna-padaravindayoh. Thus he indicates that Krsna is the origin of both Narayana and Vasudeva
- Sukadeva Gosvami, knowing very well the heart of his disciple, explained the transcendental bliss of devotional service
T
- Tat-purusa refers to a preacher of Krsna consciousness, such as the spiritual master
- The abhasa feature of bhakti is compared to twilight, and the accumulation of one's sins is compared to fog. Since fog does not spread throughout the sky, the sun need do no more than merely manifest its first rays, and the fog immediately disappears
- The actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature are visible in this life
- The actual decisions concerning the next lives of the living entities are made by the Supersoul, and they are carried out by Yamaraja
- The atmosphere of the subtle body at the time of death is created by the activities of the gross body. Thus the gross body acts during one's lifetime, and the subtle body acts at the time of death
- The best policy is to disassociate oneself from the three modes of material nature and be always transcendental to their contamination
- The best policy is to disassociate oneself from the three modes of material nature and be always transcendental to their contamination. This is possible only when one fully engages in the devotional service of the Lord
- The difference between human beings and nonhuman beings is that a human is supposed to act according to the direction of the Vedas
- The dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree may be completely burnt to ashes by a fire, although the creepers may sprout again because the root is still in the ground
- The duty of a human being is to understand that since he is essentially spirit, he must abide by the spiritual tendency and not be carried away by material tendencies
- The duty of all sane men, is to save them (people). Maharaja Pariksit is the representative of one who can save them
- The entire world is lacking Krsna consciousness, and therefore people are suffering from the grossest ignorance and do not even believe in a life after this one
- The example of one who associates with the mode of goodness is a qualified brahmana. Such a brahmana knows past, present and future because he consults the Vedic literature and sees through the eyes of sastra
- The fault of illicit connection with women is that it makes one lose all brahminical qualities
- The future is always dark for one who is grossly covered by ignorance
- The gross body is a product of the subtle body
- The guru, Sukadeva Gosvami, has examined Pariksit Maharaja, and it appears that the King has passed one phase of the examination by rejecting the process of atonement because it involves fruitive activities
- The highest kalyana (auspicious) activity is to surrender to Krsna. That is the only path by which to save oneself from falling down into hellish life
- The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter & spirit, by acquirement of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of one's occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life
- The influence of the modes of nature is very strong. The living entity entangled in different types of fruitive activity is like a silkworm trapped in a cocoon. Getting free is very difficult unless he is helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The less intelligent misunderstand the bhakti path and therefore allege that it is for one who cannot execute ritualistic ceremonies or speculate
- The light or illumination is Vedic knowledge, which one can understand when he is elevated to the mode of goodness or when he transcends the mode of goodness by engaging in devotional service to the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord
- The living entities, according to their association with the different modes of material nature, will be happy, distressed or between the two in their next lives also
- The living entity has a body, which is a very complicated combination of the material elements, and with this body he struggles alone
- The living entity is an eternal servant of God, but he comes to the material world and is bound by material conditions because of his desire to lord it over matter
- The living entity wants to serve, but because of his forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord, he serves under the modes of material nature and manufactures various modes of service, such as socialism, humanitarianism and altruism
- The Lord also says: In this endeavor (engaging in devotional service) there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear
- The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 18.61): The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy
- The Manu-samhita prescribes that a man who has committed murder should be hanged and his own life sacrificed in atonement. Previously this system was followed all over the world, but since people are becoming atheists, they are stopping capital punishment
- The members of modern civilization manufacture defective religious principles through speculative concoction. This is not dharma. They do not know what is dharma and what is adharma
- The members of some religious sects, especially Christians, do not believe in the reactions of karma
- The most learned scholars, such as the Gosvamis, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramanujacarya are the actual followers of the bhakti path. Regardless of whether or not one is educated or aristocratic, one must follow in their footsteps
- The most significant word used in this verse (SB 6.1.33) is siddha-sattamah, which means the best of the perfect
- The order carriers of Lord Visnu came because Ajamila had chanted the holy name of Narayana. They did not consider why he was chanting
- The order carriers of Yamaraja have jurisdiction over all sinful living entities, but the messengers of Lord Visnu, the Visnudutas, are capable of punishing anyone, including Yamaraja, if he wrongs a Vaisnava
- The order carriers of Yamaraja, the Yamadutas, are explaining the factual position of piety and impiety and how a living entity is entangled in this material world
- The path of devotional service is completely perfect and is therefore superior to the path of fruitive activities and the path of knowledge
- The platform of jnana, speculative knowledge, is better than the platform of karma, fruitive action
- The potency of bhakti-yoga begins simply with the chanting of the Lord's name
- The process of chanting the holy name of the Lord is always superbly effective, but it is especially effective in this age of Kali
- The puranas record the chief incidents that have occurred over many millions of years, not only on this planet but also on other planets within the universe
- The Puranas, or old histories, are sometimes neglected by unintelligent men who consider their descriptions mythological. Actually, the descriptions of the Puranas, or the old histories of the universe, are factual, although not chronological
- The residents of Vaikuntha, who are decorated with garlands and yellow silken garments, have four arms holding various weapons. Thus they conspicuously resemble Lord Visnu
- The servants of Yamaraja replied quite properly. They did not manufacture principles of religion or irreligion. Instead, they explained what they had heard from the authority Yamaraja
- The sinful actions of one who has surrendered unto Krsna are compared to a snake with its poison fangs removed. Such a snake is no longer to be feared
- The soul, must work alone. Although he tries to create society, friendship and love, no one will be able to help him but Krsna, the Supreme Lord. Therefore his only concern should be how to satisfy Krsna. That is also what Krsna wants
- The subtle body, which is called linga, the body of desire, is the background for the development of a particular type of gross body, which is either like that of one's mother or like that of one's father
- The subtle laws of nature act according to the desire of the living entity
- The sum and substance of material conditional life is explained in this verse (SB 6.1.51). The living entity, the seventeenth element, is struggling alone, life after life. This struggle is called samsrti, or material conditional life
- The Supersoul is said to be friendly because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind to the original soul that when the original soul transmigrates from one body to another, the Lord goes with him
- The Supreme Lord is so kind that He comes Himself to instruct the bewildered living entity how to act obediently and then gradually return home, back to Godhead, where he can attain an eternal, peaceful life of bliss and knowledge
- The Supreme Lord says, Give up all other varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. Therefore surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the actual principle of religion
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is kind to the conditioned soul
- The svabhavika, or one's natural tendency, is the most important factor in action
- The symptom of a mahatma is that he has no engagement other than service to Krsna
- The tongue (jihva) can be controlled if one chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, does not speak of any subjects other than those concerning Krsna and does not taste anything not offered to Krsna
- The transcendental words of the Vedas emanated from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Vedic principles should be understood to be Vaisnava principles because Visnu is the origin of the Vedas
- The Vaisnava is not a member of a manufactured community of this material world. A Vaisnava is a real knower of the Vedas
- The Vedas contain nothing besides the instructions of Visnu, and one who follows the Vedic principles is a Vaisnava
- The Vedic injunction is, tamasi ma: "Don't remain in darkness." Jyotir gama: Try to go to the light
- The Visnudutas had forbidden the Yamadutas to take Ajamila to Yamaraja, and therefore the Yamadutas explained that taking such a man to Yamaraja was appropriate
- The Visnudutas particularly inquired about who is punishable and why Yamaraja has been designated to discriminate between who is punishable and who is not. How is one to be judged? What is the basic principle of authority?
- The Visnudutas smiled, thinking, "What is this nonsense they (the Yamadutas) are speaking? If they are actually servants of Yamaraja they should know that Ajamila is not a suitable candidate for them to carry off
- The Visnudutas were also surprised that the Yamadutas, although claiming to be servants of Yamaraja, the supreme judge of religious principles, were unaware of the principles of religious action
- The weight of a murderer's sin is very great, and therefore according to Manu-samhita a murderer must be killed
- The witnesses and the Supreme Lord both exist, and therefore so many living entities are elevated to higher planetary systems or degraded to lower planetary systems, including the hellish planets
- The witnesses mentioned in this verse (in SB 6.1.42) are also mentioned in other Vedic literatures
- The word anumimamsate means that he (Yamaraja) can decide in consultation with the Supersoul. Anu means - following
- The word asamsrti is very important. Samsrti refers to continuing on the path of birth & death. Asamsrti, on the contrary, refers to nivrtti-marga, or the path of liberation, by which one's birth and death cease and one gradually progresses to Brahmaloka
- The word dhirah, meaning "those who are undisturbed under all circumstances," is very significant
- The word kama-liptena (in SB 6.1.61) indicates that the sudra was decorated with turmeric smeared on his body
- The word kecit means "a few people but not all." Not everyone can become Krsna conscious
- The word krsna-rpita-pranah refers to a devotee who dedicates his life to serving Krsna, not to being saved from the path to hellish life
- The word prakrti means material nature, and purusa may also refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The word pravayasah (in SB 6.1.24) indicates Ajamila's sinfulness because although he was eighty-eight years old, he had a very young child
- The word prayascittani is plural in number to indicate both karma-kanda and jnana-kanda
- The word siddha-sattama refers to a liberated, pure devotee
- The Yamadutas inquired why the Visnudutas were present where a sinful man was going to die
- The Yamadutas said to the Visnudutas, By your bodily features you appear to be very exalted gentlemen, and you have such celestial power that you have dissipated the darkness of this material world
- The Yamadutas were surprised to see that the Visnudutas, although polite, were hindering the rule of Yamaraja
- The Yamadutas, the order carriers of Yamaraja, mistakenly considered Ajamila sinful. They did not know that although he was sinful throughout his entire life, he was purified by constantly chanting the holy name of Narayana
- There are innumerable living entities, the majority of whom are in the spiritual world and are nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. There is no question of judging these liberated living beings
- There are many instances throughout the world in which even a purified person, being attracted by a prostitute, spends all the money he has inherited
- There are many witnesses (of our sinful activities), including the sun, fire, sky, air, moon, demigods, evening, day, night, directions, water, land and the Supersoul Himself, who sits with the individual soul within his heart
- There are no discrepancies, for everything is arranged perfectly by the management of the Supreme God
- There are so many dangers in this material world that one may fall down from an exalted position at any time. Yet if one keeps himself always pure and steady by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, he will be safe without a doubt
- There is a path toward liberation in the higher planetary systems and a path toward the hellish planets, but a narayana-para devotee is unafraid wherever he is sent; he simply wants to remember Krsna, wherever he may be
- There is even a book, called Bhrgu-samhita, which reveals information about one's past, present and future lives according to astrological calculations
- There is every chance of falling from the platform of karma to hellish conditions, but on the platform of jnana one is saved from hellish life, although one is still not completely free from infection
- These interactions (of the three modes of material nature - sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna) create different forms, bodies, activities and changes, which all occur perfectly
- They (happiness and distress) arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, & one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed
- They (the living entities lower than human beings) are not punishable, for under the laws of material nature they are automatically evolving
- They (the residents of Vaikunthaloka) have the same bodily features as Narayana because they have attained the liberation of sarupya, but they nevertheless act as servants
- This system is still present in India; in a rigid brahmana's house, there is narayana-seva, worship of Narayana
- This tendency to be battered by the waves of maya can be changed to one's original, natural tendency, which is spiritual, when the living entity comes to understand that he is eternally krsna-dasa, a servant of God, Krsna
- This verse (SB 6.1.22) indicates how degraded one becomes simply by indulging in illicit sex with a prostitute
- Those engaged in advanced pious activities are beyond punishment. Only those who engage in sinful activities are punishable
- Those who act in the mode of goodness are promoted to higher planetary systems to become demigods, those who act in an ordinary way and do not commit excessively sinful acts remain within this middle planetary system
- Those who follow the path of the acaryas are susilah and sadhavah, but furthermore their path is akuto-bhaya, which means free from fear
- Those who have surrendered to the principles of material nature instead of to Krsna are all impious, regardless of their material position
- Those who perform abominable sinful actions must go down to hellish life
- Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts & spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me
- To become learned and free from material contamination, therefore, one should try to understand Krsna, for thus one is immediately liberated from all pious and impious activities and their reaction
- To convince them (people) of their next life is very difficult because they have become almost mad in their pursuit of material enjoyment
- To take advantage of the methods of atonement, one must be at least somewhat devoted; otherwise there is no chance of one's being purified
U
- Unaware of the principles of religion, they (those who have surrendered to the principles of material nature) do not surrender to Krsna, and therefore they are considered sinful rascals, the lowest of men, and fools bereft of all knowledge
- Unfortunately, men manufacture their own ways of acting, without reference to the Vedas. Therefore all of them commit sinful actions and are punishable
- Unfortunately, the unintelligent cannot immediately understand Krsna's supremacy. Nonetheless, if they associate with devotees and read authorized books, they may gradually come to the proper understanding, although this may take many, many births
- Unintelligent men who do not understand Krsna are grossly puffed up, thinking that they are liberated or have themselves become Krsna or Narayana. This is ignorance
- Unless one is a Vaisnava, one cannot understand the activities of a Vaisnava
- Unless one is fully absorbed in the service of the Lord, one is subject to the contamination of the three modes of material nature and must therefore suffer from distress or mixed happiness and distress
- Unless one is very strong in knowledge, patience and proper bodily, mental and intellectual behavior, controlling one's lusty desires is extremely difficult
- Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed
V
- Vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca: a Vaisnava is an ocean of mercy. Para-duhkha-duhkhi: he is unhappy because of the unhappiness of others
- Vasudeva, Krsna, is the creator of everything, and His energy is displayed in various ways
- Vimarsana refers to the cultivation of speculative knowledge
- Vimarsana, however, is also explained in Bhagavad-gita (BG 15.15), where Krsna says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: the purpose of Vedic study is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Viraraghava Acarya comments that dhrta-vrata means dhrtam vratam stri-sanga-rahityatmaka-brahmacarya-rupam. In other words, Ajamila followed the rules and regulations of celibacy as a perfect brahmacari and was very softhearted, truthful, clean and pure
W
- We first advise all the disciples in our Krsna consciousness movement to avoid illicit sex, which is the beginning of all abominable life and which is followed by meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, one after another
- When a devotee is put into hellish conditions, he accepts them as Krsna's mercy: tat te 'nukampam susamiksamanah (SB 10.14.8). He does not protest, Oh, I am such a great devotee of Krsna. Why have I been put into this misery
- When a man commits murder he becomes sinful, and therefore he also must be killed; otherwise after death he must suffer many sinful reactions
- When devotional service is present in one's heart, desires to perform sinful activities have no place there
- When forbidden to touch Ajamila, the order carriers of Yamaraja were surprised because they had never been hindered in the execution of their duty by anyone within the three worlds
- When one becomes intelligent he takes to nivrtti-marga, the path of liberation, and thus instead of rotating within this material world, he returns home, back to Godhead. This is necessary
- When one concludes that in this material world there is nothing but repeated birth and death, he tries to return home, back to Godhead. If one attains that destination, he need never return to this material world
- When one takes to devotional service, however, all phases of sinful life, including prarabdha, aprarabdha and bija, are vanquished
- When one understands that the soul is part and parcel of the supreme soul and one thus engages in the devotional service of the supreme soul, one becomes siddha-sat-tama. One is then eligible to live in the Vaikuntha planets or Krsnaloka
- When Pariksit Maharaja inquired how a human being could free himself from sinful activities so as not to be forced to go to hellish planetary systems after death, Sukadeva Gosvami answered that the process of counteracting sinful life is atonement
- When the seeds (bija) of sinful reactions have not yet fructified, the reactions are called aprarabdha. These seeds of sinful action are unseen, but they are unlimited, and no one can trace when they were first planted
- When the Vedic knowledge is revealed, one need no longer remain in the darkness of material nature
- While chanting the name of Narayana, Ajamila was actually thinking of his son, but simply because they heard Ajamila chanting the Lord's name, the order carriers of Lord Visnu, the Visnudutas, immediately came for Ajamila's protection
- While traveling along the public way, Ajamila came upon a fourth-class man and a prostitute, who are vividly described here. Drunkenness was sometimes manifest even in bygone ages, although not very frequently
- Why doesn't one please Bhagavan to receive a better body? The answer is ajnas tamasa: because of gross ignorance
Y
- Yantra means a machine, such as an automobile. The driver of the machine of the body is the individual soul, who is also its director or proprietor, but the supreme proprietor is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Yogis instead of going directly to the spiritual world, sometimes want to see other planetary systems, and therefore they ascend to the planetary system where Lord Brahma lives, as indicated here by the word brahmana
- Yogis, however, instead of going directly to the spiritual world, sometimes want to see other planetary systems, and therefore they ascend to the planetary system where Lord Brahma lives, as indicated here by the word brahmana
- You (the Visnudutas) have dissipated the darkness of this material world with your own effulgences. Why then should you endeavor to stop us (the Yamadutas) from executing our duty