Bhagvatam Whatever a devotee needs will be supplied by God. Therefore a pure devotee will not ask anything from the Lord. He simply offers the Lord his respectful obeisances, and the Lord is prepared to accept whatever the devotee can secure to worship Him, even patram pushpam phalam toyam—a leaf, flower, fruit or water. 22nd Aug

This chapter explains how Diti, Kashyapa Muni's wife, executed Kashyapa Muni's instructions on devotional service. During the first day of the bright fortnight of the moon in the month of Agrahäyana (November-December), every woman, following in the footsteps of Diti and following the instructions of her own husband, should begin this pumsavana-vrata. 

In the morning, after washing her teeth, bathing and thus becoming purified, she should hear about the birth mystery of the Maruts. Then, covering her body with a white dress and being properly ornamented, before breakfast she should worship Lord Vishnu and mother Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, Lord Vishnu's wife, by glorifying Lord Vishnu for His mercy, patience, prowess, ability, greatness and other glories and for how He can bestow all mystic benedictions. 

While offering the Lord all paraphernalia for worship, such as ornaments, a sacred thread, scents, nice flowers, incense and water for bathing and washing His feet, hands and mouth, one should invite the Lord with this mantra: om namo bhagavate mahä-purushäya mahänubhäväya mahävibhütipataye saha mahä-vibhütibhir balim upaharämi. Then one should offer twelve oblations in the fire while chanting this mantra: om namo bhagavate mahä-purushäya mahävibhüti-pataye svähä. One should offer obeisances while chanting this mantra ten times. Then one should chant the Lakshmi-Näräyana mantra.

If either a pregnant woman or her husband regularly discharges this devotional service, both of them will receive the result. After continuing this process for one full year, the chaste wife should fast on the pürnimä, the full-moon day, of Kärttika. 

On the following day, the husband should worship the Lord as before and then observe a festival by cooking nice food and distributing prasäda to the brähmanas. Then, with the permission of the brähmanas, the husband and wife should take prasäda. This chapter ends by glorifying the results of the pumsavana function.

TRANSLATION

Mahäräja Parikshit said: My dear lord, you have already spoken about the pumsavana vow. Now I want to hear about it in detail, for I understand that by observing this vow one can please the Supreme Lord, Vishnu.

TRANSLATION

Sukadeva Gosvämi said: On the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Agrahäyana [November-December], following the instructions of her husband, a woman should begin this regulative devotional service with a vow of penance, for it can fulfill all one's desires. Before beginning the worship of Lord Vishnu, the woman should hear the story of how the Maruts were born. Under the instructions of qualified brähmanas, in the morning she should wash her teeth, bathe, and dress herself with white cloth and ornaments, and before taking breakfast she should worship Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi.

TRANSLATION

[She should then pray to the Lord as follows.] My dear Lord, You are full in all opulences, but I do not beg You for opulence. I simply offer my respectful obeisances unto You. You are the husband and master of Lakshmidevi, the goddess of fortune, who has all opulences. Therefore You are the master of all mystic yoga. I simply offer my obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

A devotee knows how to appreciate the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

"The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance." Therefore, to take shelter of the Supreme Lord is required. 

Whatever a devotee needs will be supplied by the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead (teshäm nityäbhiyuktänäm yoga-kshemam vahämy aham). Therefore a pure devotee will not ask anything from the Lord. 

He simply offers the Lord his respectful obeisances, and the Lord is prepared to accept whatever the devotee can secure to worship Him, even patram pushpam phalam toyam—a leaf, flower, fruit or water. There is no need to artificially exert oneself. It is better to be plain and simple and with respectful obeisances offer to the Lord whatever one can secure. The Lord is completely able to bless the devotee with all opulences.

Example of HUMILITY displayed by a pure devotee #Blog0082

Example of HUMILITY displayed by a pure devotee

As said by Soordas ji:

"मो सम कौन कुटिल खल कामी

 Who is equal to me in demonic, crooked (कुटिल) qualities,

खल (दुष्ट, नीच, vile, mean), कामी (sensual/lustful)

जिस तन दियो तहीं बिसरायो

I’ve forgotten (बिसरायो) Him who (तहीं) has created my body (जिस तन दियो)

ऐसी नमक हरामी, निपट निगोरो

Such an unabashedly (निपट) shameless (निगोरो) traitor (नमक हरामी) that I am

हों सब पतितन को नायक, हों सब पतितन को स्वामी

I (हों) am the most (नायक, स्वामी) downtrodden (पतितन)

हों प्रसिध्द पातकी, तू पाप पुण्य हारी

Whereas I (हों) am the one of the most notorious (प्रसिध्द) fallen (पातकी), You snatch away (हारी) all the sins (पाप) & pious (पुण्य) deeds from one

कहां कहे द्विविध आंधरो बिना मोल के चेरी"

What do I say (कहां कहे), I am blind (आंधरो) both ways, from physical eyes as well as from inside (द्वि=two, विध=ways) and I am Your servant (चेरी) without any salary/compensation (बिना मोल)

..THEN WE REALIZE, O MY GOD ! THERE IS NONE WORSE THAN ME IN THE MENTIONED QUALITIES       

Bhagvat: Indra's release from sinful life and about his victory in fighting the demons after pleasing Lord Vishnu (Krishna) - by understanding this incident, one is relieved of all sinful reactions, 20th Aug

Bhagvat: Indra's release from sinful life and about his victory in fighting the demons after pleasing Lord Vishnu (Krishna) - by understanding this incident, one is relieved of all sinful reactions

As long as King Indra lived in the water, wrapped in the stem of the lotus, Nahusha was equipped with the ability to rule the heavenly kingdom, due to his knowledge, austerity and mystic power. Nahusha, however, blinded and maddened by power and opulence, made undesirable proposals to Indra's wife with a desire to enjoy her. Thus Nahusha was cursed by a brähmana and later became a snake.

Indra's sins were diminished by the influence of Rudra, the demigod of all directions. Because Indra was protected by the goddess of fortune, Lord Vishnu's wife, who resides in the lotus clusters of Mänasa-sarovara Lake, Indra's sins could not affect him. Indra was ultimately relieved of all the reactions of his sinful deeds by strictly worshiping Lord Vishnu. Then he was called back to the heavenly planets by the brähmanas and reinstated in his position.

O King, when Lord Indra reached the heavenly planets, the saintly brähmanas approached him and properly initiated him into a horse sacrifice [ashvamedha-yajna] meant to please the Supreme Lord.

The horse sacrifice performed by the saintly brähmanas relieved Indra of the reactions to all his sins because he worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead in that sacrifice. O King, although he had committed a gravely sinful act, it was nullified at once by that sacrifice, just as fog is vanquished by the brilliant sunrise.

King Indra was favored by Marichi and the other great sages. They performed the sacrifice just according to the rules and regulations, worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, the original person. Thus Indra regained his exalted position and was again honored by everyone.

In this very great narrative there is glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Näräyana, there are statements about the exaltedness of devotional service, there are descriptions of devotees like Indra and Vrträsura, and there are statements about King Indra's release from sinful life and about his victory in fighting the demons. 

By understanding this incident, one is relieved of all sinful reactions. Therefore the learned are always advised to read this narration. 

If one does so, one will become expert in the activities of the senses, his opulence will increase, and his reputation will become widespread. 

One will also be relieved of all sinful reactions, he will conquer all his enemies, and the duration of his life will increase. Because this narration is auspicious in all respects, learned scholars regularly hear and repeat it on every festival day.

A glaring example of blind following. Had the same effort been redirected towards Lord’s devotion, rewards would surely be reaped multi-fold #Blog0081

A glaring example of blind following. Had the same effort been redirected towards Lord’s devotion, rewards would surely be reaped multi-fold.

एक आंटी जी सुबह 5:00 बजे बाहर कुछ ढूंढ रही थी

पूछा कि क्या

बोली कि काले कुत्ते को ढूंढ रही हूँ

क्यों क्योंकि उसे घी में चुपड़ी दो रोटी खिलानी है

क्यों, क्योंकि उनके पति बीमार रहते हैं और गुरु जी ने कहा है कि काले कुत्ते को घी में चुपड़ी रोटी खिलाओगे तो ठीक हो जाएंगे 

पहचान वाला बोला: अंकल को तो आज तक इतने प्यार से घी में चुपड़ी रोटी तो कभी खिलाई नहीं, कुत्ते को खिला रही हो

देखो कौन कमाए और कौन खाए

ये देखा अंधविश्वास का नमूना 

A lady at 5am in the morning was looking for something on the road side.

On being asked, she said she was looking for a black dog to make it eat 2 chapatis nice layered with ghee as advised by a so called pandit for early resolution to her husband getting well.

The accoster remarked it would be so rare that she would have made her husband eat so lovingly whereas a dog has become the beneficiary.

This is nothing but a glaring example of blind following.

Had she diverted same effort towards Lord’s devotion, she would have surely reaped rewards multi-fold.

Bhagvatam Lord Krshna says Himself in Bhagavad-gitä (7.28)"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination”, 21st Aug

Bhagvatam  Lord Krshna says Himself in Bhagavad-gitä (7.28)"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination”

TRANSLATION

King Parikshit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvämi: O learned brähmana, demons are generally sinful, being obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance. How, then, could Vrträsura have attained such exalted love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Näräyana?

PURPORT

In this material world, everyone is obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance.

However, unless one conquers these modes and comes to the platform of goodness, there is no chance of one's becoming a pure devotee.

This is confirmed by Lord Krshna Himself in Bhagavad-gitä (7.28):

"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.”

Since Vrträsura was among the demons, Mahäräja Parikshit wondered how it was possible for him to have become such an exalted devotee.

Demigods situated in the mode of goodness and great saints cleansed of the dirt of material enjoyment hardly ever render pure devotional service at the lotus feet of Mukunda.

[Therefore how could Vrträsura have become such a great devotee?]

In this material world there are as many living entities as atoms.

Among these living entities, a very few are human beings, and among them, few are interested in following religious principles.