Bhagvatam: ASPIRANTS IN SPIRITUALITY ARE ADVISED TO GIVE UP ALL ENVY OF OTHER LIVING ENTITIES INCLUDING KILLING OF ANIMALS, EITHER IN THE NAME OF RELIGION OR FOR FOOD, 5th July

Bhagvatam:  ASPIRANTS IN SPIRITUALITY ARE ADVISED TO GIVE UP ALL ENVY OF OTHER LIVING ENTITIES INCLUDING KILLING OF ANIMALS, EITHER IN THE NAME OF RELIGION OR FOR FOOD

TRANSLATION

PERSONS WHO WANT TO ADVANCE IN SUPERIOR RELIGION ARE ADVISED TO GIVE UP ALL ENVY OF OTHER LIVING ENTITIES, WHETHER IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE BODY, WORDS OR MIND. THERE IS NO RELIGION SUPERIOR TO THIS.

TRANSLATION

BECAUSE OF AN AWAKENING OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE, THOSE WHO ARE INTELLIGENT IN REGARD TO SACRIFICE, WHO ARE ACTUALLY AWARE OF RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES AND WHO ARE FREE FROM MATERIAL DESIRES, CONTROL THE SELF IN THE FIRE OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE, OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH. THEY MAY GIVE UP THE PROCESS OF RITUALISTIC CEREMONIES.

PURPORT

People are generally very much interested in karma-kanda ritualistic ceremonies for elevation to the higher planetary systems, but when one awakens his spiritual knowledge, he becomes uninterested in such elevation and engages himself fully in jnana-yajna to find the objective of life. 

THE OBJECTIVE OF LIFE IS TO STOP COMPLETELY THE MISERIES OF BIRTH AND DEATH AND TO RETURN HOME, BACK TO GODHEAD. WHEN ONE CULTIVATES KNOWLEDGE FOR THIS PURPOSE, HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ON A HIGHER PLATFORM THAN ONE WHO IS ENGAGED IN KARMA-YAJNA, OR FRUITIVE ACTIVITIES.

TRANSLATION

Upon seeing the person engaged in performing the sacrifice, animals meant to be sacrificed are extremely afraid, thinking, "This merciless performer of sacrifices, being ignorant of the purpose of sacrifice and being most satisfied by killing others, will surely kill us."

PURPORT

Animal sacrifice in the name of religion is current practically all over the world in every established religion. 

IT IS SAID THAT LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHEN TWELVE YEARS OLD, WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE JEWS SACRIFICING BIRDS AND ANIMALS IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND THAT HE THEREFORE REJECTED THE JEWISH SYSTEM OF RELIGION AND STARTED THE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM OF CHRISTIANITY, ADHERING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT COMMANDMENT "THOU SHALT NOT KILL." 

AT THE PRESENT DAY, HOWEVER, NOT ONLY ARE ANIMALS KILLED IN THE NAME OF SACRIFICE, BUT THE KILLING OF ANIMALS HAS INCREASED ENORMOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE INCREASING NUMBER OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES. SLAUGHTERING ANIMALS, EITHER FOR RELIGION OR FOR FOOD, IS MOST ABOMINABLE AND IS CONDEMNED HEREIN. UNLESS ONE IS MERCILESS, ONE CANNOT SACRIFICE ANIMALS, EITHER IN THE NAME OF RELIGION OR FOR FOOD.

Gita shloka 3.31: ONE WHO EXECUTES HIS DUTIES ACCORDING TO LORD BECOMES FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF FRUITIVE ACTIONS,  5th  July 

TRANSLATION

ONE WHO EXECUTES HIS DUTIES ACCORDING TO MY INJUNCTIONS AND WHO FOLLOWS THIS TEACHING FAITHFULLY, WITHOUT ENVY, BECOMES FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF FRUITIVE ACTIONS.

PURPORT

The injunction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the essence of all Vedic wisdom, and therefore is eternally true without exception.

As the Vedas are eternal, so this truth of Krsna consciousness is also eternal.

One should have firm faith in this injunction, without envying the Lord.

There are many philosophers who write comments on the Bhagavad-gita but have no faith in Krsna.

They will never be liberated from the bondage of fruitive action.

But an ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma.

In the beginning of Krsna consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Krsna consciousness.

And when one acts in such Krsna consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything.

THIS CONSCIOUSNESS IS CALLED NIRMAMA, OR NOTHING IS MINE.

And, if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may become vigata-jvara, or without feverish mentality or lethargy.

Everyone, according to his quality and position, has a particular type of work to discharge, and all such duties may be discharged in Krsna consciousness, as described above.

That will lead one to the path of liberation.

MAY WE BECOME ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HIS GRACE BY PURIFYING OUR HEARTS BY HIS CONSTANT CONTEMPLATION (मनन) #Blog0053

MAY WE BECOME ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HIS GRACE BY PURIFYING OUR HEARTS BY HIS CONSTANT CONTEMPLATION (मनन)

Hope Lord's grace keeps us blessed (or rather MAY WE BECOME ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HIS GRACE by purifying our hearts by His constant मनन (मन भगवान को अर्पित रहे, तन धन संसार में लगा रहे, चलेगा & this will be acting as per His design of this creation - WE DO REVERSE, मन संसार में और तन धन का नाटक भगवान को)

And hope we are able to recognise ourselves who we are & why we came here as human beings because without our knowing ourselves (or unless the curiosity to know answers to these basic questions arises), God's grace (even though present everywhere) cannot be accepted/captured by us as we are not eligible for His grace without the लालसा (desire) to know answers to above fundamental queries.

So we need to grace oursleves first (अपनी स्वयं पर कृपा) before He can turn His attention to us & take His steps towards us.

Otherwise life तो बीत रही है, कट रही है और कट ही जायेगी. Can anyone stop this?

Even though it is said सब प्रभु की इच्छा से होता है, IT IS NOT SO as GOD DOES NOT SUPERIMPOSE HIS WILL on living beings - HE lets every individual's will take precedence before His will.

So, हमारी इच्छा (our desire), if it does not turn towards Him (i.e., springs forth FROM WITHIN US), He lets it be like that & countless births कट जाते हैं & yet our desire does not tilt towards Him. He says "I am REMEMBRANCE, I am KNOWLEDGE, I am FORGETFULNESS".

So He lets/helps persons FORGET Him also for countless births till their discrimination power (विवेक) is arisen & they become mature & become aware of their हित & अहित (what is to their BENEFIT (long term) & what is not ,i.e., they come to know the gist (सार) of the matter - what is short term TEMPORARY & what is ETERNAL)

SERVICE TO LORD IS DIFFICULT BUT MOST REWARDING, "सबते सेवक धर्म कठोरा” #Blog0052

"सबते सेवक धर्म कठोरा”

“Service to Lord is most difficult”

जब प्रभु राम को अपने धाम जाना था तो एक-एक अवध वासी को अपने साथ लेकर गए

मगर हनुमान जी को कहा “तुमको नहीं ले जाएंगे, तुम यहीं रहो”

दूर से देखेंगे तो प्रभु का व्यवहार बड़ा कठोर रहा, हनुमान जी ने पूछा “कब तक रहें ?”

प्रभु बोले “समय के अंत तक रहो”, जब तक यह संसार है जब तक यह सृष्टि है तब तक रहो

हनुमान जी तो सेवक हैं और सेवक की अपनी कोई इच्छा होती नहीं होती, स्वामी की इच्छा ही सेवक की इच्छा होती है, इसीलिए “सबते सेवक धर्म कठोरा”  सेवक होना सबसे कठोर है, अभिमान शून्य हो जाना

हनुमान जी ने कहा “रहूं कैसे, कोई आधार देकर जाइए, यहां तो नित्य आप का दर्शन होता था, आपकी सेवा का आधार था मेरे पास”

तो प्रभु ने मुस्कुरा कर कहा “कथा का आश्रय लेना”, हनुमान जी का जीवन बन गया

“राम कथा सुनीबे को रसिया”

अब राम की कथा तो बदली नहीं होगी, ना पात्र बदले होंगे, ना घटनाएं बदली होंगी, लेकिन हनुमान जी के लिए कथा एक कहानी नहीं है, हनुमान जी के लिए तो कथा अमृत है रसायन है,

हनुमान जी ने उन शब्दों की चेतना का अनुभव कर लिया, अरे “जिस सागर को बिना सेतू लाँघ सके ना राम और लांघ गए हनुमान उसी को लेके राम का नाम”

जो यह कथा के शब्द हैं, जो यह भगवान और भक्तों के बीच में घटा है, यह केवल काल के क्रम में घटित एक घटना नहीं है , ये केवल कहानी के शब्द नहीं हैं, केवल पुण्य के लिए सुनी जाने वाली कथा भी नहीं है, कथा के इन शब्दों में एक चेतना है कथा के इन शब्दों में एक ऊर्जा है , जो एक आंदोलन करती हैं आपके मन में

Listening to katha is like a therapy ; there are divine rays emanating in these words which removes mind's dirt accumulated over ages

जो सीधे-सीधे आपके हृदय में जाकर कलश का निवारण करती है

कुछ बात सुनने से मन में सकारात्मकता आती है, मन प्रसन्न हो जाता है On listening to positive divine katha, we feel elated & happy. और कुछ बात सुनने से मन में नकारात्मकता आती है, मन अपवित्र हो जाता है But on listening to mundane worldly talks, mind gets negative energy. और भगवान की बात सुनो तो मन भगवान का हो जाता है और संसार की बात सुनोगे तो मन संसार का हो जाएगा If you tune your mind to the Divine, it’d fall in love with Lord but if you tune to the worldly stuff, mind would bury itself in world. पूछो किसलिए कथा सुननी है बस मन भगवान का हो जाए इसलिए कथा सुननी है We should listen to divine glories with sole purpose of surrendering our mind to Lord, thereby loving Him

 

Bhagvatam” one should, with love, offer food prepared with ghee to the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and then offer the prasada to a suitable person—a Vaishnava or brahmana considering every living being a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord,4th July

Bhagvatam” one should, with love, offer food prepared with ghee to the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and then offer the prasada to a suitable person—a Vaishnava or brahmana considering every living being a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord

TRANSLATION

When one gets the opportunity of a suitable auspicious time and place, one should, with love, offer food prepared with ghee to the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and then offer the prasada to a suitable person—a Vaishnava or brahmana. This will be the cause of everlasting prosperity.

TRANSLATION

One should offer prasada to the demigods, the saintly persons, one's forefathers, the people in general, one's family members, one's relatives and one's friends, seeing them all as devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

As mentioned above, it is recommended that everyone distribute prasada, considering every living being a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Even in feeding the poor, one should distribute prasada. In Kali-yuga there is a scarcity of food almost every year, and thus philanthropists spend lavishly to feed the poor. 

For this they invent the term daridra-narayana-seva. This is prohibited. One should distribute sumptuous prasada, considering everyone a part of the Supreme Lord, but one should not juggle words to make a poor man Narayana. Everyone is related to the Supreme Lord, but one should not mistakenly think that because one is related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has become the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana. 

Such a Mayavada philosophy is extremely dangerous, especially for a devotee. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has therefore strictly forbidden us to associate with Mayavadi philosophers. 

Mayavadi-bhashya sunile haya sarva-nasa: if one associates with the Mayavada philosophy, his devotional life is doomed.

TRANSLATION

A person fully aware of religious principles should never offer anything like meat, eggs or fish in the sraddha ceremony, and even if one is a kshatriya, he himself should not eat such things. When suitable food prepared with ghee is offered to saintly persons, the function is pleasing to the forefathers and the Supreme Lord, who are never pleased when animals are killed in the name of sacrifice.