BHAGVAT HOW RIVER GANGES ORIGINATED FROM NARAYNA, 23rd July

BHAGVAT HOW RIVER GANGES ORIGINATED FROM NARAYNA

TRANSLATION

O KING, THE WATER FROM LORD BRAHMA'S KAMANDALU WASHED THE LOTUS FEET OF LORD VAMANADEVA, WHO IS KNOWN AS URUKRAMA, THE WONDERFUL ACTOR. THUS THAT WATER BECAME SO PURE THAT IT WAS TRANSFORMED INTO THE WATER OF THE GANGES, WHICH WENT FLOWING DOWN FROM THE SKY, PURIFYING THE THREE WORLDS LIKE THE PURE FAME OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD.

PURPORT

HERE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GANGES BEGAN WHEN THE WATER FROM LORD BRAHMA'S KAMANDALU WASHED THE LOTUS FEET OF LORD VAMANADEVA. BUT IN THE FIFTH CANTO IT IS STATED THAT THE GANGES BEGAN WHEN VAMANADEVA'S LEFT FOOT PIERCED THE COVERING OF THE UNIVERSE SO THAT THE TRANSCENDENTAL WATER OF THE CAUSAL OCEAN LEAKED THROUGH. 

AND ELSEWHERE IT IS ALSO STATED THAT LORD NARAYANA APPEARED AS THE WATER OF THE GANGES. THE WATER OF THE GANGES, THEREFORE, IS A COMBINATION OF THREE TRANSCENDENTAL WATERS, AND THUS THE GANGES IS ABLE TO PURIFY THE THREE WORLDS. This is the description given by Shrila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahma and all the predominating deities of the various planetary systems began to worship Lord Vamanadeva, their supreme master, who had reduced Himself from His all-pervading form to His original form. They collected all the ingredients and paraphernalia for this worship.

PURPORT

VAMANADEVA FIRST EXPANDED HIMSELF TO THE UNIVERSAL FORM AND THEN REDUCED HIMSELF TO THE ORIGINAL VAMANA-RÜPA. THUS HE ACTED EXACTLY LIKE LORD KRSHNA, WHO, AT THE REQUEST OF ARJUNA, FIRST SHOWED HIS UNIVERSAL FORM AND LATER RESUMED HIS ORIGINAL FORM AS KRSHNA. 

THE LORD CAN ASSUME ANY FORM HE LIKES, BUT HIS ORIGINAL FORM IS THAT OF KRSHNA (krshnas tu bhagavan svayam). 

According to the capacity of the devotee, the Lord assumes various forms so that the devotee can handle Him. This is His causeless mercy. When Lord Vamanadeva resumed His original form, Lord Brahma and his associates collected various paraphernalia for worship with which to please Him.

GITA-SHLOKA-4.8 IN ORDER TO DELIVER THE PIOUS AND TO ANNIHILATE THE MISCREANTS, AS WELL AS TO REESTABLISH THE PRINCIPLES OF RELIGION, GOD ADVENTS HIMSELF MILLENNIUM AFTER MILLENNIUM, 23rd July

TRANSLATION

IN ORDER TO DELIVER THE PIOUS AND TO ANNIHILATE THE MISCREANTS, AS WELL AS TO REESTABLISH THE PRINCIPLES OF RELIGION, I ADVENT MYSELF MILLENNIUM AFTER MILLENNIUM.

PURPORT

ACCORDING TO BHAGAVAD-GITA, A SADHU (HOLYMAN) IS A MAN IN KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS.

A PERSON MAY APPEAR TO BE IRRELIGIOUS, BUT IF HE HAS THE QUALIFICATIONS OF KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS WHOLLY AND FULLY, HE IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD TO BE A SADHU.

AND DUSKRTAM APPLIES TO ONE WHO DOESN'T CARE FOR KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS.

SUCH MISCREANTS, OR DUSKRTAM, ARE DESCRIBED AS FOOLISH AND THE LOWEST OF MANKIND, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE DECORATED WITH MUNDANE EDUCATION; WHEREAS ANOTHER PERSON, WHO IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ENGAGED IN KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS, IS ACCEPTED AS SADHU, EVEN THOUGH SUCH A PERSON MAY NEITHER BE LEARNED NOR WELL CULTURED.

AS FAR AS THE ATHEISTIC ARE CONCERNED, IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE SUPREME LORD TO APPEAR AS HE IS TO DESTROY THEM, AS HE DID WITH THE DEMONS RAVANA AND KAMSA.

THE LORD HAS MANY AGENTS WHO ARE QUITE COMPETENT TO VANQUISH DEMONS.

BUT THE LORD ESPECIALLY DESCENDS TO APPEASE HIS UNALLOYED DEVOTEES, WHO ARE ALWAYS HARASSED BY THE DEMONIC.

THE DEMON HARASSES THE DEVOTEE, EVEN THOUGH THE LATTER MAY HAPPEN TO BE HIS KIN.

ALTHOUGH PRAHLADA MAHARAJA WAS THE SON OF HIRANYAKASIPU, HE WAS NONETHELESS PERSECUTED BY HIS FATHER; ALTHOUGH DEVAKI, THE MOTHER OF KRSNA, WAS THE SISTER OF KAMSA, SHE AND HER HUSBAND VASUDEVA WERE PERSECUTED ONLY BECAUSE KRSNA WAS TO BE BORN OF THEM.

SO LORD KRSNA APPEARED PRIMARILY TO DELIVER DEVAKI, RATHER THAN KILL KAMSA, BUT BOTH WERE PERFORMED SIMULTANEOUSLY.

THEREFORE IT IS SAID HERE THAT TO DELIVER THE DEVOTEE AND VANQUISH THE DEMON MISCREANTS, THE LORD APPEARS IN DIFFERENT INCARNATIONS.

In the Caitanya-caritamrta of Krsnadasa Kaviraja, the following verses summarize these principles of incarnation:

srsti-hetu yei murti prapance avatare

sei isvara-murti 'avatara' nama dhare

mayatita paravyome savara avasthana

visve 'avatari' dhare 'avatara' nama.

"THE AVATARA, OR INCARNATION OF GODHEAD, DESCENDS FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD FOR MATERIAL MANIFESTATION.

AND THE PARTICULAR FORM OF THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD WHO SO DESCENDS IS CALLED AN INCARNATION, OR AVATARA.

Such incarnations are situated in the spiritual world, the kingdom of God.

When they descend to the material creation, they assume the name avatara."

THERE ARE VARIOUS KINDS OF AVATARAS, SUCH AS PURUSAVATARAS, GUNAVATARAS, LILAVATARAS, SAKTYAVESA AVATARAS, MANVANTARA-AVATARAS AND YUGAVATARAS—ALL APPEARING ON SCHEDULE ALL OVER THE UNIVERSE.

BUT LORD KRSNA IS THE PRIMEVAL LORD, THE FOUNTAINHEAD OF ALL AVATARAS.

LORD SRI KRSNA DESCENDS FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSES OF MITIGATING THE ANXIETIES OF THE PURE DEVOTEES, WHO ARE VERY ANXIOUS TO SEE HIM IN HIS ORIGINAL VRNDAVANA PASTIMES.

THEREFORE, THE PRIME PURPOSE OF THE KRSNA AVATARA IS TO SATISFY HIS UNALLOYED DEVOTEES.

THE LORD SAYS THAT HE INCARNATES HIMSELF IN EVERY MILLENNIUM.

THIS INDICATES THAT HE INCARNATES ALSO IN THE AGE OF KALI.

AS STATED IN THE SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM, THE INCARNATION IN THE AGE OF KALI IS LORD CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, WHO SPREAD THE WORSHIP OF KRSNA BY THE SANKIRTANA MOVEMENT (CONGREGATIONAL CHANTING OF THE HOLY NAMES), AND SPREAD KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGHOUT INDIA.

He predicted that this culture of sankirtana would be broadcast all over the world, from town to town and village to village.

LORD CHAITANYA AS THE INCARNATION OF KRSNA, THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, IS DESCRIBED SECRETLY BUT NOT DIRECTLY IN THE CONFIDENTIAL PARTS OF THE REVEALED SCRIPTURES, SUCH AS THE UPANISADS, MAHABHARATA, BHAGAVATAM, ETC.

The devotees of Lord Krsna are much attracted by the sankirtana movement of Lord Chaitanya.

This avatara of the Lord does not kill the miscreants, but delivers them by the causeless mercy of the Lord.

BHAGVAT: DESCRIPTION OF LORD’S BODY, 21st July

BHAGVAT: DESCRIPTION OF LORD’S BODY

TRANSLATION

Bali Maharaja saw beneath the garments of the Lord, who acts wonderfully, the evening twilight. In the Lord's private parts he saw the Prajapatis, and in the round portion of the waist he saw himself with his confidential associates. In the Lord's navel he saw the sky, on the Lord's waist he saw the seven oceans, and on the Lord's bosom he saw all the clusters of stars.

TRANSLATION

My dear King, on the heart of Lord Murari he saw religion; on the chest, both pleasing words and truthfulness; in the mind, the moon; on the bosom, the goddess of fortune, with a lotus flower in her hand; on the neck, all the Vedas and all sound vibrations; on the arms, all the demigods, headed by King Indra; in both ears, all the directions; on the head, the upper planetary systems; on the hair, the clouds; in the nostrils, the wind; on the eyes, the sun; and in the mouth, fire. 

From His words came all the Vedic mantras, on His tongue was the demigod of water, Varunadeva, on His eyebrows were the regulative principles, and on His eyelids were day and night. [When His eyes were open it was daytime, and when they were closed it was night.] On His forehead was anger, and on His lips was greed. 

O King, in His touch were lusty desires, in His semen were all the waters, on His back was irreligion, and in His wonderful activities or steps was the fire of sacrifice. On His shadow was death, in His smile was the illusory energy, and on the hairs of His body were all the drugs and herbs. 

In His veins were all the rivers, on His nails were all the stones, in His intelligence were Lord Brahma, the demigods and the great saintly persons, and throughout His entire body and senses were all living entities, moving and stationary. Bali Maharaja thus saw everything in the gigantic body of the Lord.

BHAGVAT THIS ACHINTYA-BHEDABHEDA—SIMULTANEOUS ONENESS AND DIFFERENCE— BETWEEN THE SEER AND THE SEEN - IS THE PERFECT PHILOSOPHY PROPOUNDED BY LORD SHRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU , 20TH JULY

BHAGVAT THIS ACHINTYA-BHEDABHEDA—SIMULTANEOUS ONENESS AND DIFFERENCE— BETWEEN THE SEER AND THE SEEN - IS THE PERFECT PHILOSOPHY PROPOUNDED BY LORD SHRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU  

TRANSLATION

Bali Maharaja, along with all the priests, acharyas and members of the assembly, observed the Supreme Personality of Godhead's universal body, which was full of six opulences. That body contained everything within the universe, including all the gross material elements, the senses, the sense objects, the mind, intelligence and false ego, the various kinds of living entities, and the actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattam sarvam pravartate: Krshna is the origin of everything. Vasudevam sarvam iti: Krshna is everything. Mat-sthani sarva-bhütani na caham teshv avasthitam: everything rests in the body of the Lord, yet the Lord is not everywhere. 

Mayavadi philosophers think that since the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, has become everything, He has no separate existence. Their philosophy is called advaita-vada. Actually, however, their philosophy is not correct. 

Here, Bali Maharaja was the seer of the Personality of Godhead's universal body, and that body was that which was seen. Thus there is dvaita-vada; there are always two entities—the seer and the seen. The seer is a part of the whole, but he is not equal to the whole. The part of the whole, the seer, is also one with the whole, but since he is but a part, he cannot be the complete whole at any time. This achintya-bhedabheda—simultaneous oneness and difference—is the perfect philosophy propounded by Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

GITA-SHLOKA-4.5, A DEVOTEE CAN AT ONCE UNDERSTAND THE INFALLIBLE CONDITION OF THE LORD, WHEREAS A NONDEVOTEE OR A DEMON CANNOT UNDERSTAND THIS TRANSCENDENTAL NATURE. CONSEQUENTLY GITA CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD BY DEMONIC BRAINS, 20th July

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!

PURPORT

In the Brahma-samhita we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there:

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam

adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca

vedesu durllabham adurllabham atma-bhaktau

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami.

(Bs. 5.33)

"I WORSHIP THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, GOVINDA [KRSNA], WHO IS THE ORIGINAL PERSON—ABSOLUTE, INFALLIBLE, WITHOUT BEGINNING, ALTHOUGH EXPANDED INTO UNLIMITED FORMS, STILL THE SAME ORIGINAL, THE OLDEST, AND THE PERSON ALWAYS APPEARING AS A FRESH YOUTH. SUCH ETERNAL, BLISSFUL, ALL-KNOWING FORMS OF THE LORD ARE USUALLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE BEST VEDIC SCHOLARS, BUT THEY ARE ALWAYS MANIFEST TO PURE, UNALLOYED DEVOTEES." 

It is also stated in Brahma-samhita:

ramadi murttisu kala-niyamena tisthan

nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu

krsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(Bs. 5.39)

"I WORSHIP THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, GOVINDA [KRSNA], WHO IS ALWAYS SITUATED IN VARIOUS INCARNATIONS SUCH AS RAMA, NRSIMHA AND MANY SUB-INCARNATIONS AS WELL, BUT WHO IS THE ORIGINAL PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD KNOWN AS KRSNA, AND WHO INCARNATES PERSONALLY ALSO."

In the Vedas also it is said that the Lord, although one without a second, nevertheless manifests Himself in innumerable forms.

He is like the vaidurya stone, which changes color yet still remains one.

ALL THOSE MULTI-FORMS ARE UNDERSTOOD BY THE PURE, UNALLOYED DEVOTEES, BUT NOT BY A SIMPLE STUDY OF THE VEDAS: vedesu durllabham adurllabham atma-bhaktau.

DEVOTEES LIKE ARJUNA ARE CONSTANT COMPANIONS OF THE LORD, AND WHENEVER THE LORD INCARNATES, THE ASSOCIATE DEVOTEES ALSO INCARNATE IN ORDER TO SERVE THE LORD IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.

Arjuna is one of these devotees, and in this verse it is understood that some millions of years ago when Lord Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god Vivasvan, Arjuna, in a different capacity, was also present.

But the difference between the Lord and Arjuna is that the Lord remembered the incidence, whereas Arjuna could not remember.

THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PART AND PARCEL LIVING ENTITY AND THE SUPREME LORD.

Although Arjuna is addressed herein as the mighty hero who could subdue the enemies, he is unable to recall what had happened in his various past births.

THEREFORE, A LIVING ENTITY, HOWEVER GREAT HE MAY BE IN THE MATERIAL ESTIMATION, CAN NEVER EQUAL THE SUPREME LORD.

Anyone who is a constant companion of the Lord is certainly a liberated person, but he cannot be equal to the Lord.

THE LORD IS DESCRIBED IN THE BRAHMA-SAMHITA AS INFALLIBLE (ACHYUTA), WHICH MEANS THAT HE NEVER FORGETS HIMSELF, EVEN THOUGH HE IS IN MATERIAL CONTACT.

Therefore, the Lord and the living entity can never be equal in all respects, even if the living entity is as liberated as Arjuna.

ALTHOUGH ARJUNA IS A DEVOTEE OF THE LORD, HE SOMETIMES FORGETS THE NATURE OF THE LORD, BUT BY THE DIVINE GRACE A DEVOTEE CAN AT ONCE UNDERSTAND THE INFALLIBLE CONDITION OF THE LORD, WHEREAS A NONDEVOTEE OR A DEMON CANNOT UNDERSTAND THIS TRANSCENDENTAL NATURE.

CONSEQUENTLY THESE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE GITA CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD BY DEMONIC BRAINS.

Krsna remembered acts which were performed by Him millions of years before, but Arjuna could not, despite the fact that both Krsna and Arjuna are eternal in nature.

WE MAY ALSO NOTE HEREIN THAT A LIVING ENTITY FORGETS EVERYTHING DUE TO HIS CHANGE OF BODY, BUT THE LORD REMEMBERS BECAUSE HE DOES NOT CHANGE HIS SAC-CID-ANANDA BODY.

HE IS ADVAITA, WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN HIS BODY AND HIMSELF.

EVERYTHING IN RELATION TO HIM IS SPIRIT—WHEREAS THE CONDITIONED SOUL IS DIFFERENT FROM HIS MATERIAL BODY.

AND, BECAUSE THE LORD'S BODY AND SELF ARE IDENTICAL, HIS POSITION IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORDINARY LIVING ENTITY, EVEN WHEN HE DESCENDS TO THE MATERIAL PLATFORM.

THE DEMONS CANNOT ADJUST THEMSELVES TO THIS TRANSCENDENTAL NATURE OF THE LORD, AS THE LORD EXPLAINS IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE.