Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 108

Precursor to Srila Prabhupada’s sannyasa

Srila Prabhupada wrote:

When I was married at the age of 21 with a wife who was only 11 years old, practically I did not like my wife. And as I was at that time very young man, and an educated college student, I wanted to marry again, in spite of my wife being present. Because amongst the Hindus one can accept more than one wife (of course the law is now changed). So, whenever everything was all ready for my marriage with another girl, my great father who was a great devotee of the Lord, called me and instructed me in the following words: “My dear boy, I understand that you are trying to get yourself married again, but I would advise you not to do this. It is Krishna’s Grace that your present wife is not just according to your liking. This will help you not to become attached with wife and home, and this will help you in the matter of your future advancement of Krishna Consciousness.” Now, I accepted my father’s advice, and by his blessings, only, I was never attached to my wife or home which resulted in my complete liberation from worldly attachment and devoted myself fully in Krishna Consciousness.

From a letter by Srila Prabhupada to Gargamuni, Allston, May 5, 1968

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Why Haridasa Thakura is “namacarya”

You will find mentioned in many Vedic scriptures that maha-mantra is especially recommended for understanding God in this Age of Kali Yuga, such as Agni Purana, Kali-Santaram Upanisad, Brhan Naradiya Puranam, and many others. Haridasa Thakura chanted 3 lakhs of names each day, that means 16 names in the mantra, 108×16 or 1,728 names in each round of mala, dividing 300,000 by 1,728 comes to roundabout 175 rounds on beads daily. And for us it is even difficult to chant 16 rounds! That is why Haridasa Thakura is “namacarya.” We find in Caitanya Caritamrta information that both Lord Caitanya and Haridasa Thakura were constantly absorbed in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to: Yajnesvara — Bombay 2 January, 1972

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Bhaktivinoda: liberated person playing the part of a conditioned soul

Sometimes even a liberated person like Arjuna plays the part of a conditioned soul in order to play some important part. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Thakura for some time was associating with the impersonalists and then he exhibited himself in his true color as pure devotee, exactly in the same way as Arjuna exhibited in the beginning as a conditioned soul, and then as a liberated soul. So there is nothing to be misunderstood in this connection. Krsna and His devotees sometimes play like that, as much as Lord Buddha, although an incarnation of Krsna, preached the philosophy of voidism. These things are conducted in terms of place, audience, time, etc. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that the activities of the Vaisnava cannot be understood even by the greatest scholar. So we have to understand everything through the transparent via media of the spiritual master. So there is no doubt about it that Bhaktivinoda Thakura is eternal energy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And whatever he did, was just to suit the time, place, circumstances, and etc.

From Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Madhusudana, 20th November, 1968

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Srila Prabhupada describes Vamana-lila

There is a nice story of a great devotee, Bali Maharaja. Bali Maharaja was a very powerful king, and he conquered over the heavenly planets. So the denizens of the heavenly planets, they appealed to the Supreme Lord to save them, that “We are now conquered by the demonic king, Bali Maharaja.” So Bali Maharaja… And Krsna, Krsna took the shape of a dwarf and went to Bali Maharaja for begging as a brahmana boy. And He approached him, Bali Maharaja, “I want something from you. You are a great king. You give in charity to the brahmanas. So I want something from you.”

So Bali Maharaja said, “Yes, I shall give You. What You want?” “Now, I want land of three…, in the measurement of My sole, three sole measurement. That’s all.” So He was a boy, His sole was sole…, not very long. So Bali Maharaja said, “What You will do with a small piece of land?” But He said, “Yes, that will suffice Me. If you promise this three measurement of My three palms land, that will suffice.” Then Bali Maharaja agreed, and by His two measurement of the palm, He covered the whole universe.

Then He’s asking, “Bali Maharaja, now whatever you have got, you got, now it is finished by two feet, by two measurement of my palm. Now where I am going to keep My third, third one?” Then Bali Maharaja understood that it is the favor of the Supreme Lord. He said, “My dear Lord, yes, I have now lost everything. I have no other property, but I have got my head. Please kindly
keep on it.”

So the Lord was very much pleased on him, and He offered, “Bali Maharaja, then what do you want from Me?” “No, I never expected anything from You. I could understand You wanted from me everything; so I have offered my everything. That is finished. I don’t want…” Then Lord says, “Yes, but from My side, I have got something to offer you. I shall remain as your order-carrier servant in your door.”

So He remained always… Just like we are sitting here, there may be some doorman, He, Lord became his doorman. So that is the return. If we offer something to Lord, oh, that is rewarded in many millions of times. So we should not expect. The Lord is always serious to return the service of the servant, of His devotee. So there are many devotees. This devotee, Bali Maharaja, surrendered everything for the service of the Lord. So he became a famous king. Sarvatma-snapane abhavad balir vaiyasakih.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 6.1-4 – September 2, 1966, New York

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Monarchy vs. democracy

That is the way of the monarchical state. The reigning king should be a pious, chivalrous devotee of the Lord and fear personified for the upstarts. He must also leave an heir apparent equally qualified to rule over the innocent citizens. In the modern setup of the democratic states, the people themselves are fallen to the qualities of the sudras or less, and the government is run by a representative of theirs who has not been trained according to the scriptural mode of administrative education. Thus the whole atmosphere is surcharged with sudra qualities, manifested by lust and avarice. Such administrators quarrel every day among themselves. The cabinet of ministers changes often due to party and group selfishness. Everyone wants to exploit the state resources till he dies. No one retires from political life unless forced to do so. How can such low-grade men do good to the people? The result is corruption, intrigue and hypocrisy. They should learn from the Srimad-Bhagavatam how ideal the administrators must be before they can be given charge of different posts.

Srila Prabhupada; SB 1.12.18, Purport

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Training to become irresponsible

[Srila Prabhupada] observed that in America, “everyone is trained to be irresponsible.”

From: The Art of Spiritual Life by Jadurani DD p.150.

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Radha always comes first

It is not that Radharani is separate from Krsna. Radharani is also Krsna, for there is no difference between the energy and the energetic. Without energy, there is no meaning to the energetic, and without the energetic, there is no energy. Similarly, without Radha there is no meaning to Krsna, and without Krsna there is no meaning to Radha. Because of this, the Vaisnava philosophy first of all pays obeisances to and worships the internal pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord. Thus the Lord and His potency are always referred to as Radha-Krsna. Similarly, those who worship Narayana first of all utter the name of Laksmi, as Laksmi-Narayana. Similarly, those who worship Lord Rama first of all utter the name of Sita. In any case — Sita-Rama, Radha-Krsna, Laksmi-Narayana — the potency always comes first.

From Srila Prabhupada’s introduction to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

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Pray for Radharani’s mercy, be accepted by Krsna

In Vrndavana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Lord Krsna. Srimati Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krsna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 2.3.23

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Never give up

In the beginning there may be some failures. That is quite natural. Just a child is trying to stand, he may fall down. But that does not mean he should give up the idea. Go on. A time will come come when he will be perfect. So we should not give up this business, to try to serve the Supreme. May be imperfect in the beginning, but stick to it, and a time will come when you’ll be perfect, Krsna conscious.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 3.31-43 — Los Angeles, January 1, 1969

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Useless duty

You are doing your duty very nice. That’s all right. But by doing your duty, if you do not develop your Krsna consciousness, then you are simply wasting your time.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on The Nectar of Devotion — Bombay, January 6, 1973

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