Gita shloka 2.68 SENSES CAN BE CONTROLLED ONLY BY KEEPING THEM ENGAGED IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD,2nd June

Bhagvad Gita (shloka 2.68)

TRANSLATION
THEREFORE, O MIGHTY-ARMED, ONE WHOSE SENSES ARE RESTRAINED FROM THEIR OBJECTS IS CERTAINLY OF STEADY INTELLIGENCE.

PURPORT
AS ENEMIES ARE CURBED BY SUPERIOR FORCE, SIMILARLY, THE SENSES CAN BE CURBED NOT BY ANY HUMAN ENDEAVOR, BUT ONLY BY KEEPING THEM ENGAGED IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD.

ONE WHO HAS UNDERSTOOD THIS—THAT ONLY BY KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS IS ONE REALLY ESTABLISHED IN INTELLIGENCE AND THAT ONE SHOULD PRACTICE THIS ART UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A BONA FIDE SPIRITUAL MASTER—IS CALLED SADHAKA, OR A SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR LIBERATION.

 

Bhagvat:WIFE SHOULD SERVE HER HUSBAND FAITHFULLY, 1st June

Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
THE WOMAN WHO ENGAGES IN THE SERVICE OF HER HUSBAND, FOLLOWING STRICTLY IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE, SURELY RETURNS HOME, BACK TO GODHEAD, WITH HER DEVOTEE HUSBAND, AND LIVES VERY HAPPILY IN THE VAIKUNTHA PLANETS.

PURPORT
The faithfulness of the goddess of fortune is the ideal for a chaste woman. The Brahma-samhita (5.29) says, lakshmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam. In the Vaikuntha planets, LORD VISHNU IS WORSHIPED BY MANY, MANY THOUSANDS OF GODDESSES OF FORTUNE, AND IN GOLOKA VRNDAVANA, LORD KRSHNA IS WORSHIPED BY MANY, MANY THOUSANDS OF GOPIS, ALL OF WHOM ARE GODDESSES OF FORTUNE.

A WOMAN SHOULD SERVE HER HUSBAND AS FAITHFULLY AS THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE. A MAN SHOULD BE AN IDEAL SERVANT OF THE LORD, AND A WOMAN SHOULD BE AN IDEAL WIFE LIKE THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE. THEN BOTH HUSBAND AND WIFE WILL BE SO FAITHFUL AND STRONG THAT BY ACTING TOGETHER THEY WILL RETURN HOME, BACK TO GODHEAD, WITHOUT A DOUBT. In this regard, Srila Madhvacharya gives this opinion:

A WOMAN SHOULD THINK OF HER HUSBAND AS THE SUPREME LORD.

SIMILARLY, A DISCIPLE SHOULD THINK OF THE SPIRITUAL MASTER AS THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, A SHÜDRA SHOULD THINK OF A BRAHMANA AS THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, AND A SERVANT SHOULD THINK OF HIS MASTER AS THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD.

IN THIS WAY, ALL OF THEM WILL AUTOMATICALLY BECOME DEVOTEES OF THE LORD. IN OTHER WORDS, BY THINKING THIS WAY, ALL OF THEM WILL BECOME KRSHNA CONSCIOUS.

 

Bhagvat SELF-REALIZATION versus status of ANIMAL,31st May

Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
ONE SHOULD REALIZE THAT IN THE FIRE, IN THE SPIRITUAL MASTER, IN ONE'S SELF AND IN ALL LIVING ENTITIES—IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITIONS—THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, VISHNU, HAS SIMULTANEOUSLY ENTERED AND NOT ENTERED. HE IS SITUATED EXTERNALLY AND INTERNALLY AS THE FULL CONTROLLER OF EVERYTHING.

PURPORT
REALIZATION OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD'S OMNIPRESENCE IS THE PERFECT REALIZATION OF THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH to be attained through the study of the Vedic literatures. As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.35), andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham: the LORD IS SITUATED WITHIN THE UNIVERSE, WITHIN THE HEART OF EVERY LIVING ENTITY AND ALSO WITHIN THE ATOM.

We should understand that whenever the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present, He is present with all His paraphernalia, including His name, form, associates and servants.

THE LIVING ENTITY IS PART AND PARCEL OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, AND THUS ONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT SINCE THE SUPREME LORD HAS ENTERED THE ATOM, THE LIVING ENTITIES ARE ALSO THERE.

ONE MUST ACCEPT THE INCONCEIVABLE QUALITY OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, FOR NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND FROM THE MATERIAL POINT OF VIEW HOW THE LORD IS ALL-PERVASIVE AND YET IS SITUATED IN HIS OWN ABODE, GOLOKA VRNDAVANA. This realization is possible if one strictly follows the regulative principles of asrama (brahmachari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa). Srila Madhvacharya says in this regard:

THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, IN HIS ORIGINAL FORM, HAS NOT ENTERED EVERYTHING (apravishtam), BUT IN HIS IMPERSONAL FORM HE HAS ENTERED (pravishtam). Thus He has entered and not entered simultaneously. This is also explained in Bhagavad-gita (9.4), wherein the Lord says:

"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them." The Lord can defy Himself. Thus there is variety in unity (ekatvam bahutvam).

TRANSLATION
By practicing in this way, whether one be in the brahmachari-asrama, grhastha-asrama, vanaprastha-asrama or sannyasa-asrama, ONE MUST ALWAYS REALIZE THE ALL-PERVADING PRESENCE OF THE SUPREME LORD, FOR IN THIS WAY IT IS POSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH.

PURPORT
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF SELF-REALIZATION. ONE MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND HOW BRAHMAN IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE AND HOW HE IS ACTING.

THIS EDUCATION IS CALLED BRAHMA JIJNASA AND IS THE REAL CONCERN OF HUMAN LIFE. WITHOUT SUCH KNOWLEDGE, ONE CANNOT CLAIM TO BE A HUMAN BEING; RATHER, HE REMAINS IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. AS IT IS SAID, sa eva go-kharam, WITHOUT SUCH KNOWLEDGE, ONE IS NO BETTER THAN A COW OR AN ASS.