The Indefatigable Time - Part 1

Date: 2013-11-26 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

"Time and tide waits for no one", an old saying goes, bringing to mind what kind of grip time has got on our necks. Are we not easily put into stress by it, and are miseries not coming closer to us, day by day, in the form of old age, sickness and death? Is there any way we can avoid being disheartened by its presence? Srimad Bhagavatam has a specific ability to show the positive side of things, even in regards to kala, the time element. In fact, the Bhagavatam relates a few instances of persons having experiences specifically in regards to time. In these instances, the apparently negative actions of time turn to serve a positive purpose because of an important ability of the persons involved, their ability to be Krishna conscious.

The first instance in a series of posts we plan to have on this topic, is the story of King Kakudmi. He was born as the eldest of the hundred sons of King Revata, in the line of the Sun dynasty. Taking his own daughter, Revati, Kakudmi went to Lord Brahma in Brahmaloka, which is transcendental to the three modes of material nature, and inquired about a husband for her. The Bhagavatam explains:

"When Kakudmi arrived there, Lord Brahma was engaged in hearing musical performances by the Gandharvas and had not a moment to talk with him. Therefore Kakudmi waited, and at the end of the musical performances he offered his obeisances to Lord Brahma and thus submitted his long-standing desire. After hearing his words, Lord Brahma, who is most powerful, laughed loudly and said to Kakudmi, "O King, all those whom you may have decided within the core of your heart to accept as your son-in-law have passed away in the course of time. Twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed. Those upon whom you may have decided are now gone, and so are their sons, grandsons, and other descendants. You cannot even hear about their names. O King, leave here and offer your daughter to Lord Baladeva, who is still present. He is most powerful. Indeed, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose plenary portion is Lord Vishnu. Your daughter is fit to be given to Him in charity." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.3.29-33)

Having received this order from Brahma, Kakudmi offered obeisances unto him and returned to earth, where he gave his daughter in charity to Baladeva. Then he retired from worldly life and went to Badarikashrama to please Nara- Nārāyanā. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.3.35-36)

The point is that, how a pious devotee Kakudmi Maharaja was! This is shown by:

1) His way of dealing with the unforeseen effects of his travelling to Brahmaloka: He didn't get too much disturbed by the news that everybody he knew on earth had been extinguished 27 yuga-cycles ago while he was waiting for Brahma. He simply followed the order given by Brahma to do his duty and get his daughter married.

2) By his activities of retirement: As many kings in the days of yore did, after making sure his royal lineage would continue, the former king would retire from worldly life and go to the forest or the Himalayas for the sake of liberation. Thus Kakudmi utilized his old age for renouncing his material life in order to establish himself as an eternal servant of the Lord.

The Vishnu Purana (5.25.19) relates that Baladeva married Revati in Dwaraka, and that they got two sons, Nishatha and Ulmuka. At the end of Dvapara-yuga, when Baladeva left this mortal world, Revati also entered the funeral fire embracing Him, and it is described that the blazing pile 'was cool to her, happy in contact with her Lord.' (V.P. 5.38.3) Srimad Bhagavatam 11.31.20 also relates this incident. How Revati devi's love for Balarama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was transgressing the boundaries of matter, is apparent. The Lord in the form of time is the cause of the continuous manifestation and annihilation of matter, and we can understand that Revati had thoroughly realized the flickering nature of time on Brahmaloka together with Kakudmi, and was not attached to it at all, but took its effect in the form of bodily death simply as an impetus to get back to the Lord’s eternal abode. In the same way, if we simply take the actions of time as the grace of the Lord for our advancement in Krishna consciousness, we may, following in the footsteps of advanced devotees like Kakudmi and Revati, use old age and death as springboards to advance in devotion to the Lord, rather than miserly self-pity. As Srila Prabhupada says in one of his Bhagavatam verse (2.3.17) purports, "A devotee's old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life."

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 2

Date: 2013-12-01 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

"Ignorance is bliss," is a popular motto nowadays. But it is a fact, that the pleasure-account of each and every one of us is not eternal, it is gradually running out of credit. Isn't it? So at one point there will be no more pleasure left for us. Then what? Getting into temporary happiness, we may think that we are enjoying, but we should consider that if we are getting enthusiastic about something that is harmful to us, that may be because the fire of desire is burning our head. While describing the rainy and autumn season in Vrindavan Sukadev Goswami says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 10.20.37-38, "The fish swimming in the increasingly shallow water did not at all understand that the water was diminishing, just as foolish family men cannot see how the time they have left to live is diminishing with every passing day. Just as a miserly, poverty-stricken person overly absorbed in family life suffers because he cannot control his senses, the fish swimming in the shallow water had to suffer the heat of the autumn sun."

There is an effect of the autumn sun that it makes the water in the lakes and rivers evaporate sometimes so much that the fish are getting stranded on the shore. In the same way, we may also end up feeling helplessly stranded at death, if we foolishly remain scorched under the burning sun of family sense gratification for the rest of our lives. If we choose to let ourselves be enamored by the glittering material energy, we forget our real compassionate nature which is shown by our willingness to share the gift of Krishna consciousness with others. As our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says, "Preaching means reaching." But if we chose to be half-hearted in our dealings with others, we will not get any bliss out of that, and because we living entities are by nature pleasure-seeking persons (ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt) we may then at any time fall into Maya's trap of enjoying matter. The scriptures explain that Maya's agent called Kandarpa or Cupid is the one who pierces our heart with material lust, shooting with five kinds of arrows, which represents the five different objects of the senses namely sound, touch, form, taste and smell. And Cupid's five arrows also symbolizes the five effects of desire, one of which is dahana, the burning of the heart, whose flames reaches all the way up to the brain to make our intelligence lose its spiritual awareness. Gita Govind says,

sammohanaḥ kṣobhanaśca dahanaḥ śoṣaṇas tathā ucchāṭanaśca kāmasya bāṇāḥ pañca prakīrtitāḥ

Kamadeva's five arrows are said to be fascination, disturbance, burning, desiccation and destruction.

That's why the scriptures say that we must endeavor to get sober in this life. Srila Prabhupada insists, "Going to the forest is compulsory for everyone. It is not a mental excursion upon which one person goes and another does not. Everyone should go to the forest at least as a vanaprastha. To go to the forest does not mean to become a monkey or a ferocious animal. It means to accept exclusively the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage oneself in full service. One does not actually have to go to the forest. At the present moment this is not at all advisable for a man who has spent his life all along in big cities. As explained by Prahlada Maharaja (hitvātmā-pātam grham andha-kūpam), one should not remain always engaged in the responsibilities of family life because family life without Krishna consciousness is just like a blind well." (SB 3.24.41)

But if we don't think associating with pure devotees and renunciation of sense enjoyment is important, by the influence of Maya we are quickly again thrown out into the ocean of material, sensual so-called bliss, helplessly floating in its waves, forgetting to prioritize our spiritual life. "There are unlimited conditioned souls who are bereft of Lord Krishna's service. Not knowing how to cross the ocean of nescience, they are scattered by the waves of time and tide. However, some are fortunate to contact devotees, and by this contact they are delivered from the ocean of nescience, just as a log floating down a river accidentally washes upon the bank ." (CC Madhya 22.34 P) Let us therefore optimistically endeavor to follow the path of the pure devotees like Akrura, who prays as follows.

SB 10.38.5 maivaṁ mamādhamasyāpi syād evācyuta-darśanam hriyamāṇaḥ kala-nadyā kvacit tarati kaścana

Because I am so fallen, I shall never get a chance to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead.' This was my false apprehension. Rather, by chance a person as fallen as I am, may get to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although one is being carried away by the waves of the river of time, one may eventually reach the shore.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 3

Date: 2013-12-16 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

"I have to go, I have to go." By this mantra our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj urged us to always remember our last day. Because in this world, time is working against us. It is shortening our lifespan, yielding physical and psychical troubles, and ultimately awarding us death. Srimad Bhagavatam teaches us that the one thing that keeps us stuck between the jaws of the serpent of time (kaala-sarpa), is the lust to enjoy material nature. Material nature is that which has a beginning and an end aady-antavantah- kaunteya, na teshu ramate budhah (Bhagavad Gita 5.22).

When Dhratarashtra and his wife Gandhari quits home, Yudhishtir Maharaj becomes very morose and is worried about their well-being. At that time Narada Muni appears there and gives wonderful instructions to pacify and console Yudhishitir Maharaj. In verse 1.13.46 of Srimad Bhagavatam Narada Muni says, This" gross material body made of five elements is already under the control of eternal time [kaala], action [karma] and the modes of material nature [guna]. How, then, can it, being already in the jaws of the serpent, protect others?" (SB 1.13.46)

Srila Prabhupada says in the purport that, "Above the modes of nature is eternal time, which is called kaala because it changes the shape of everything in the material world. Even if we are able to do something temporarily beneficial, time will see that the good project is frustrated in course of time. The only thing possible to be done is to get rid of eternal time, kaala, which is compared to kaala-sarpa, or the cobra snake, whose bite is always lethal. No one can be saved from the bite of a cobra.The best remedy for getting out of the clutches of the cobra-like kaala or its integrity, the modes of nature, is bhakti-yoga, as it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita."

In the 13th Chapter of the first Canto of Bhagavatam, Dhrtarashtra receives valuable lessons from Vidura about the destructive nature of time. In Srimad Bhagavatam verses 1.13.20 through 22 Vidura says, "Whoever is under the influence of supreme kaala [eternal time] must surrender his most dear life, and what to speak of other things, such as wealth, honor, children, land and home. Your father, brother, well-wishers and sons are all dead and passed away. You yourself have expended the major portion of your life, your body is now overtaken by invalidity, and you are living in the home of another. You have been blind from your very birth, and recently you have become hard of hearing. Your memory is shortened, and your intelligence is disturbed. Your teeth are loose, your liver is defective, and you are coughing up mucus."

Most of the things mentioned above, everyone will encounter in the course of a human lifespan. In other words, we are quite fit for suffering here in the material world, and it gets worse over time. Nevertheless we want to continue our material life. Vidura was amazed at observing this tendency in Dhrtarashtra, who tolerated so much humiliation just for material comfort. "Alas, how powerful are the hopes of a living being to continue his life. Verily, you are living just like a household dog and are eating remnants of food given by Bhima. There is no need to live a degraded life and subsist on the charity of those whom you tried to kill by arson and poisoning. You also insulted one of their wives and usurped their kingdom and wealth. Despite your unwillingness to die and your desire to live even at the cost of honor and prestige, your miserly body will certainly dwindle and deteriorate like an old garment." (SB 1.13.22-25)

Srila Prabhupada comments that, Why " was Dhrtarashtra living there at the house of the Pandavas? Because he wanted to continue his life comfortably, even at the risk of all humiliation. Vidura, therefore, was astonished how powerful is the urge to continue life?" Therefore let us never forget that, "I have to go, I have to go." Then only we will be sane in our behavior with others and also sincere in our devotional service.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna dasa The Indefatigable Time - Part 4

Date: 2013-12-29 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

“If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with”. Could you imagine living your whole life with someone you don’t like or even hate? But that is what we do, living in this world. In the previous offering we discussed Dhrtarashtra’s state of illusion. He was attached to material comforts and because of that, he couldn't get serious about spiritual life. His brother Vidura was needed to wake him up, reminding him of his pitiable condition and soon-to- come death. We at this very moment, may be in the exact same condition as Dhrtarashtra was. Let's get real. How serious am I really in Krishna consciousness right now? I could prioritize chanting better rounds, right?

If we are serious in our practice, time can be transcended. Srila Prabhupada says that,…for " one who is Krishna conscious the miseries of material existence have no effect. We cannot stop the miseries of the material atmosphere, but Krishna consciousness is the antiseptic method to protect us from being affected by the miseries of material existence." (SB 3.22.32 purport)

A great example of this we find in the life of Svayambhuva Manu. The Bhagavatam relates how Manu spends an inconceivably long lifetime of seventy-one yuga cycles in devotion to the Lord. How did he do that? Well, he did it by expertly arranging his life, according to Vedic culture. In this way, in a very nice way really, he avoided being affected.

"…Early in the morning there were musicians who used to sing with musical instruments about the glories of the Lord, and the Emperor, with his family, personally used to hear about the pastimes of the Supreme Person. This custom is still prevalent in India in some of the royal families and temples. Professional musicians sing with shahnais, and the sleeping members of the house gradually get up from their beds in a pleasing atmosphere. During bedtime also the singers sing songs in relationship with the pastimes of the Lord, with shahnais accompaniment, and the householders gradually fall asleep remembering the glories of the Lord. In every house, in addition to the singing program, there is an arrangement for Bhagavatam lectures in the evening; family members sit down, hold Hare Krishna kirtana, hear narrations from Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita and enjoy music before going to bed. The atmosphere created by this sankirtana movement lives in their hearts, and while sleeping they also dream of the singing and glorification of the Lord. In such a way, perfection of Krishna consciousness can be attained."

Now Manu was not into sense enjoyment! He just did his duty, that’s all, and that pleased the Supreme Lord. Similarly when Dhruva Maharaja was ordered to rule for another 36000 years, with full facilities for sense enjoyment (SB 4.9.22- 24), he was doing it as a duty to the Supreme Lord for His pleasure. In this way, even though Svayambhuva Manu, Dhruva Maharaj etc were given the facilities for material enjoyment, they utilized it for the service of Krishna. This way we can transcend the effects of time. So the motto is: Improve your relationship with time – get serious in the service of Krishna!

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 5

Date: 2014-02-08 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

The theory of evolution says that our human form of life is a result of a gradual change of the species through a very very long time. In Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada strongly opposes this idea in his wonderful purport to verse 4.24.73. "The various types of living entities were created simultaneously at the very beginning of the creation. The nonsensical Darwinian theory of evolution is not applicable here. It is not that intelligent human beings did not exist millions of years ago. On the contrary, it is understood that the most intelligent creature, Lord Brahma, was first created. Then Lord Brahma created other saintly sages like Marici, Bhrgu, Atreya, Vasishtha and Lord Shiva. They in their turn created different types of bodies according to karma… As stated in Brahma-vaivarta Purana, there is a gradual evolutionary process, but it is not the body that is evolving. All the bodily forms are already there. It is the spiritual entity, or spiritual spark within the body, that is being promoted by the laws of nature under the supervision of superior authority." The Brahma-vaivarta Purana says,

aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaṁ prāpyaṁ mānuṣyaṁ janma-paryayāt

One attains the human form of life after transmigrating through 8,400,000 species by the process of gradual evolution.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 12.4.36, how time is the constant force behind all kinds of material changes is described, "All material entities undergo transformation and are constantly and swiftly eroded by the mighty currents of time." Although all material forms of life undergo sad-vikāra, six changes of body (jāyate, asti, vardhate, viparinamate, apakṣyate, vinaśyati), the living entity does not change. "Just as the fruits and flowers of a tree in due course of time undergo six changes — birth, existence, growth, transformation, dwindling and then death — the material body, which is obtained by the spirit soul under different circumstances, undergoes similar changes. However, there are no such changes for the spirit soul." (SB 7.7.18) Still we are prone to identify ourselves with our body for sense gratification, due to our extremely small size.

"The living entity is eternal and imperishable because he actually has no beginning and no end. He never takes birth or dies. He is the basic principle of all types of bodies, yet he does not belong to the bodily category. The living being is so sublime that he is equal in quality to the Supreme Lord. Nonetheless, because he is extremely small, he is prone to be illusioned by the external energy, and thus he creates various bodies for himself according to his different desires." (SB 6.16.9)

The point is that now that we have a human body, we should stop wasting our valuable time on desires that are nothing but illusion. Instead we should always endeavor to evolve as servants of the Supreme Lord Krishna, so that we can act in our eternal spiritual time sphere, saving us from all this material bodily evolution. As the concluding verse from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana regarding evolution says,

tad apy abhalatāṁ jātaḥ teṣām ātmābhimānināṁ varākāṇām anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvaya

That human form of life is spoiled for those conceited fools who do not take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda. Praying for your blessings to get free from conceit, Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 6

Date: 2014-02-22 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

In life, we have to act according to time. From meeting the boarding times for a flight, to a comedian's knowing the funniest moment to deliver a line, acting according to time is essential. In the process of Krishna consciousness, acting according to time is also to be learned. From meeting up in time for service, to knowing when to speak and when not to speak; advanced devotees are those who act expertly according to time, being attentive to the indications of Krishna, both inside and outside. In his commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada gives the examples of mother Yashoda (10th Canto) and Dhruva Maharaja (4th Canto) as devotees acting by the indication of Krishna from one moment to the next.

"Everything in the household affairs of mother Yashoda was meant for Krishna. Although Krishna was drinking the breast milk of mother Yashoda, when she saw that the milk pan in the kitchen was overflowing, she had to take care of it immediately, and thus she left her son, who then became very angry, not having been fully satisfied with drinking the milk of her breast. Sometimes one must take care of more than one item of important business for the same purpose. Therefore mother Yashoda was not unjust when she left her son to take care of the overflowing milk. On the platform of love and affection, it is the duty of the devotee to do one thing first and other things later. The proper intuition by which to do this is given by Krishna." (SB 10.9.5 purport)

In purport to Srimad Bhagavatam verse 4.9.4, Srila Prabhupada writes, "This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, Tenth Chapter: to those who constantly engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, the Lord, from within, dictates what to do next in order to serve Him. When Dhruva Maharaja felt hesitant, not knowing how to describe the Lord for want of sufficient experience, the Lord, out of His causeless mercy, touched His conchshell to Dhruva's forehead, and he was transcendentally inspired."

At this point one may ask how we may act according to the present moment of time. According to the Vedas, we are now living in the age called Kali-yuga, which is characterized by gradual degradation on all levels of existence. The scriptures always advice to act according to the prescribed spiritual process for an age, and in Kali-yuga that process is called harinama or sankirtana; congregational chanting of the names and glories of the Lord. And the most practical mantra for that purpose is given by Lord Brahma.

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanaṁ nātaḥ parataropāyaḥ sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate

These sixteen names composed of thirty-two syllables are the only means of counteracting the evil effects of the Kali-yuga. After searching through all the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion for this age so sublime as the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra (Kali-santarana Upanishad).

The Bhagavatam verse 8.23.16 says that by earnestly chanting His name, the faults in regard to time, place and other circumstances will be made up for:

mantratas tantrataś chidraṁ deśa-kālārha-vastutaḥ sarvaṁ karoti niśchidram anusaṅkīrtanaṁ tava

There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your Lordship's holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless.

The fact that anyone, anywhere, who wholeheartedly takes up the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra following the principles of bhakti-yoga, gradually develops to become a pure devotee of the Lord, even in this age of spiritual deterioration, is itself a proof of how Krishna overrules time.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 7

Date: 2014-05-24 Author: Amogha-drk Krsnadas

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Sometimes we may think that in order to become spiritually advanced we have to do something that is very complicated and takes a lot of time and endeavor to accomplish. But actually these are not at all the causes of spiritual advancement. On the contrary, the scriptures prescribe simplicity and immediate surrender to God as the main methods for spiritual advancement. As explained by Srila Prabhupada in his famous purport to Bhagavad-gita verse 2.72, "One can attain Krishna consciousness or divine life at once, within a second — or one may not attain such a state of life even after millions of births. It is only a matter of understanding and accepting the fact. Khatvanga Maharaja attained this state of life just a few minutes before his death, by surrendering unto Krishna."

The story of Khatvanga Maharaja was told by Sukadeva Goswami to Parikshit Maharaja, because it was very relevant to him. "What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest. The saintly King Khatvanga, after being informed that the duration of his life would be only a moment more, at once freed himself from all material activities and took shelter of the supreme safety, the Personality of Godhead. Maharaja Parikshit, now your duration of life is limited to seven more days, so during this time you can perform all those rituals which are needed for the best purpose of your next life." (Srimad Bhagavatam verses 2.1.12-14). Immediately after being informed of his soon-to-come death, king Parikshit, similarly to king Khatvanga, severed all his material ties in order to prepare for going back to Godhead.

But because we are so much in the lower modes of nature we have a hard time to accept the swift process, despite our so-called scholarship. In the Caitanya Caritamrita, the story of the offender Gopala Chakravarti illustrates this very clearly. Haridasa Thakura was once invited to an assembly of pandits in Chandapura, were he was preaching the glories of the Holy Name of the Lord, to the joy of his learned audience. But after concluding that simply by nāmābhāsā , glimpsing the awakening of the Lord's holy name, one can attain liberation, the caste brahmana Gopala Chakravarti became very angry at him. Haridasa Thakura said, "Why are you doubtful? The revealed scriptures say that one can attain liberation simply by a glimpse of offenseless chanting of the holy name. For a devotee who enjoys the transcendental bliss of devotional service, liberation is most insignificant. Therefore pure devotees never desire to achieve liberation." Thakura further quoted the below verse from scriptures which explains the potency of Holy name. "My dear Lord, O master of the universe, since I have directly seen You, my transcendental bliss has taken the shape of a great ocean. Being situated in that ocean, I now realize all other so-called happiness, including even brahmananda, to be like the water contained in the hoofprint of a calf." (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 14.36)

Gopala Cakravarti said, "If one is not liberated by nāmābhāsā, then you may be certain that I shall cut off your nose." Then Haridasa Thakura accepted the challenge offered by Gopala Cakravarti and said, "If by nāmābhāsā liberation is not available, certainly I shall cut off my nose." (CC Antya 3.193-199) Because of his offence, within three days Gopala Cakravarti was attacked by leprosy, and as a result his highly raised nose melted away and fell off.

For the real devotees of Krishna it doesn't matter whether they have to wait a long time or a short time to get back to Krishna's abode in the spiritual world. They are already with Krishna by their pure service to Him, which is even better than entering His abode, which is one of the five kinds of liberation that devotees are not interested in, according to the Lord (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila 24.183): mat-sevayā pratītaṁ te sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam necchanti sevayā pūrṇāḥ kuto ’nyat kāla-viplutam

My devotees, having fulfilled their desires by serving Me, do not accept the four kinds of salvation that are easily earned by such service. Why then should they accept any pleasures that are lost in the course of time?

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 8

Date: 2014-05-26 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

God, as the Personality of Time has been repeatedly and thoroughly explained in the scriptures, headed by the Srimad Bhagavatam. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 2.3.17, Shaunaka Muni says,

āyur harati vai puṁsām udyann astaṁ ca yann asau tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta uttama-śloka-vārtayā

Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.

In the Bhagavatam the sage Kardama performed austerities for ten thousand years until the Lord appeared before him. In his prayers to the Lord, (Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.21.16) observing Him as time personified, Kardama exclaimed, "O my Lord, You are the master and leader of all living entities. Under Your direction, all conditioned souls, as if bound by rope, are constantly engaged in satisfying their desires. Following them, O embodiment of religion, I also bear oblations for You, who are eternal time." Kardama Muni describes the Lord's form of time, which does not impact the devotees of the Lord in the same manner in which it impacts the non-devotees. "Your wheel, which has three naves, rotates around the axis of the imperishable Brahman. It has thirteen spokes, 360 joints, six rims and numberless leaves carved upon it. Though its revolution cuts short the life-span of the entire creation, this wheel of tremendous velocity cannot touch the life-span of the devotees of the Lord." (SB 3.21.18) Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport that, "…when the sun rises and sets it takes away the life of all living entities, but it cannot take away the life of those who are engaged in devotional service. Time is compared here to a big wheel which has 360 joints, six rims in the shape of seasons, and numberless leaves in the shape of moments. It rotates on the eternal existence, Brahman."

Lord Brahma, in his prayers to the Lord, also explains how wasting time is a great crime and so those who waste time will duly be punished for that mistake. "People in general all engage in foolish acts, not in the really beneficial activities enunciated directly by You for their guidance. As long as their tendency for foolish work remains powerful, all their plans in the struggle for existence will be cut to pieces. I therefore offer my obeisances unto Him who acts as eternal time." (SB 3.9.17)

Srila Prabhupada explains, "People in general are all engaged in senseless work. They are systematically unmindful of the real beneficial work, which is the devotional service of the Lord, technically called the arcana regulations… In Bhagavad-gita the Lord asks everyone to give up all other occupational duties and absolutely engage in arcana activities, or in pleasing the Lord. But almost no one is attracted to such arcana activity. Everyone is more or less attracted by activities which are conditions of rebellion against the Supreme Lord. The systems of jnaana and yoga are also indirectly rebellious acts against the Lord. There is no auspicious activity except arcana of the Lord. Jnana and yoga are sometimes accepted within the purview of arcana when the ultimate aim is Vishnu, and not otherwise. The conclusion is that only the devotees of the Lord are bona fide human beings eligible for salvation. Others are vainly struggling for existence without any actual benefit."

The Bhagavatam's tenth canto relates how twenty thousand kings, being imprisoned by Jarasandha, once wrote a letter to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in order to be saved. In their letter to Krishna, pleading for His help to get free from their fearful situation, they also describe Time as bringing misfortune those who do not follow the Lord (the non-devotees), and bringing fortune for those who do follow the Lord (the devotees). In other words, in the form of Time, He clearly rewards His devotees and punishes His non-devotees. "People in this world are always engaged in sinful activities and are thus bewildered about their real duty, which is to worship You according to Your commandments. This activity would truly bring them good fortune. Let us offer our obeisances unto the all-powerful Lord, who appears as Time and suddenly cuts down one's stubborn hope for a long life in this world." (SB 10.70.26)

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 9

Date: 2014-06-09 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Lord Krishna made time famous by revealing it as being non-different from Himself, the Supreme controller of all living entities. In Bhagavad Gita verse 10.30 He declares,kaalah ' kalayataam aham', "among subduers I am time." In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 10.3.26 Devaki Mata says,

yo ’yaṁ kālas tasya te ’vyakta-bandho ceṣṭām āhuś ceṣṭate yena viśvam nimeṣādir vatsarānto mahīyāṁs taṁ tveśānaṁ kṣema-dhāma prapadye

O inaugurator of the material energy, this wonderful creation works under the control of powerful time, which is divided into seconds, minutes, hours and years. This element of time, which extends for many millions of years, is but another form of Lord Vishnu. For Your pastimes, You act as the controller of time, but You are the reservoir of all good fortune. Let me offer my full surrender unto Your Lordship.

"But time is such an abstract thing", one may object. "How is it controlling us in the real sense of the term?" As we shall see, time controls us by motion. Time is a rotating wheel called the kāla-cakra, on which the sun, which brings forth the seconds, minutes, hours etc. of the day, is situated.

Brahma-samhita 5.52 yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

The sun is the king of all planetary systems and has unlimited potency in heat and light. I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, under whose control even the sun, which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the fixed orbit of eternal time.

Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport to verse 10.3.26 of Srimad Bhagavatam that,Every " minute, every second, every day, every night, every month and every year of time can be calculated according to the sun's movements. But the sun is not independent, for it is under time's control. bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ: the sun moves within the kāla-cakra, the orbit of time." When the sun rises in the morning, our day starts, bringing forth our assigned duties one by one. If the sun wouldn't arise, we wouldn't have arisen, what to speak of performing duties. We would have found ourselves in a completely frozen, inactive state. In other words, by the force of the sun we are working, because if the sun wouldn't move through the ecliptic, it wouldn't force the seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years etc. to appear, which in turn forces us to appear, at work. The Bhagavatam (5.22.5) details this: atha sa eṣa ātmā lokānāṁ dyāv-āpṛthivyor antareṇa nabho-valayasya kālacakra-gato dvādaśa māsān bhuṅkte rāśi- saṁjñān saṁvatsarāvayavān māsaḥ pakṣa-dvayaṁ divā naktaṁ ceti sapādarkṣa-dvayam upadiśanti yāvatā ṣaṣṭham aṁśaṁ bhuñjīta sa vai ṛtur ity upadiśyate saṁvatsarāvayavaḥ. The sun-god, who is Narayana, or Vishnu, the soul of all the worlds, is situated in outer space between the upper and lower portions of the universe. Passing through twelve months on the wheel of time, the sun comes in touch with twelve different signs of the zodiac and assumes twelve different names according to those signs. The aggregate of those twelve months is called a samvatsara, or an entire year.

Scholars say that the Sanskrit word for time, kāla, has been derived from kalana or motion and this implies that time manifests itself through motion: kalāḥ kalayater-gatirgamanaḥ (Nirukta). In other words, as soon as Govinda, as kāla- cakra moves, that moves the sun, which in turns moves us. Sukadeva Goswami says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 10.51.19, "Inexhaustible time, stronger than the strong, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Like a herdsman moving his animals along, He moves mortal creatures as His pastime." But why does He move us like this? The acharyas explains, that the universe is created to gradually rectify the contaminated souls trying to exploit material nature. Thus the Lord moves us along according to karma, like a protector of animals, through the various stages of spiritual rectification, so that we may one day be able to enjoy our eternal life, full of bliss and knowledge, as His enlightened associates.

Krishna willing, we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 10

Date: 2014-06-16 Author: Amogha-drk Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

The concepts of Time in this world can be generally divided into two: linear and circular. In the West one tends to view time as linear, which means that one regards the creation of life as a one-time occurrence that develops by gradual evolution from very simple to very advanced. While the Vedic scriptures, on the contrary, says that time is endlessly revolving in cycles of birth and death, causing deterioration but also rejuvenation of life as the cycle starts up again.

Take for example the existence of our body. From a strict material point of view, as soon as it is born, the good body gradually starts to deteriorate by the destructive influence of time, slowly breaking down by the advancement of age and sickness, until ultimate destruction in the form of death. But cyclical time makes sure that after this, we get a new start with a fresh body. As Srila Prabhupada says in the Teachings of Queen Kunti: "This is a natural cycle of this material world. It is similar to changes of season. After spring comes summer, and after summer comes fall and then winter, and then spring again. Similarly, after day comes night, and after night comes day. And just as these cyclic changes take place one after another, we change from one body to another, and it is natural to conclude that after leaving the present body we shall receive another body (bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate)." That we constantly go through these cycles of creation and annihilation is confirmed in the Srimad Bhagavatam (12.4.35):

nityadā sarva-bhūtānāṁ brahmādīnāṁ parantapa utpatti-pralayāv eke sūkṣma-jñāḥ sampracakṣate

Experts in the subtle workings of nature, O subduer of the enemy, have declared that there are continuous processes of creation and annihilation that all created beings, beginning with Brahmaa, constantly undergo.

The Bhagavatam 12.10.41 teaches us that this natural cycle is the cycle of illusory material existence the Supreme Lord has created for the conditioned souls — an endless cycle that has been continuing since time immemorial (māyā- saṁsṛtir ātmanaḥ anādy-āvartitaṁ nṝṇāṁ).

Since we are in the material world, the progress of time is generally manifesting in a "positive-to-negative" order, exemplified by the “appearance” of the sun at sunrise, which represents sattva-guna (goodness) ending at the "disappearance" of the sun after sunset which represents tamo-guna (darkness). This is manifested on a bigger scale with the yuga-cycles starting with Satya-yuga which is characterized by full goodness and virtue on all levels, gradually diminishing to 3/4th the value of virtue in Treta-yuga to 2/4th in Dvapara, to only 1/4th the value of virtue left in the present age of Kali. The Bhagavatam illustrates this point by the bull of religion, which loses one leg for each change of yuga:

"You are no other than the personality of religion… In the age of Satya [truthfulness] your four legs were established by the four principles of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. But it appears that three of your legs are broken due to rampant irreligion in the form of pride, lust for women, and intoxication. You are now standing on one leg only, which is your truthfulness, and you are somehow or other hobbling along. But quarrel personified [Kali], flourishing by deceit, is also trying to destroy that leg." (SB 1.17.22-25):

In other words, the opposite of evolution of mankind, namely deterioration of mankind, is taking place under the influence of time on a general scale. But again the important cyclical feature of the time element constantly makes sure of the rejuvenation or rebirth of all things destroyed. And sattva-guna, which is the material representation of the eternally stable spiritual state, is there providing goodness, but it is always a struggle to maintain it because time deteriorates everything. Thus the Bhagavatam explains that at the completion of one cycle of four yugas, everything has deteriorated to utter ruin, but then when the yugas starts on a new fresh with Satya-yuga, again there is light and goodness in all respects.

However actually we have choice to step out of the time-cycle (kāla-cakra) altogether. A cycle or cakra indicates something that goes on endlessly. So in that way Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of God for this present age of Kali, explained that the Lord also has a spiritual time-cycle called the lila-cakra.

CC Madhya 20.393 alāta-cakra-prāya sei līlā-cakra phire saba līlā saba brahmāṇḍe krame udaya kare

The cycle of His pastimes turns like a wheel of fire. Thus Krishna exhibits His pastimes one after the other in every universe.

Srila Prabhupada explains: "Krishna's pastimes are always present in the material world in one of the many universes. These pastimes appear in the universes one after the other, just as the sun moves across the sky and measures the time. Krishna's appearance may be manifested in this universe at one moment, and immediately after His birth, this pastime is manifested in the next universe. After His killing of Putana is manifested in this universe, it is next manifested in another universe. Thus all the pastimes of Krishna are eternally existing both in the original Goloka Vrindavana planet and in the material universes." (CC Madhya 20.397 P)

Hence to get out of the influence of the wheel of time, we need to get absorbed in the wheel of (Krishna's) pastimes.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 11

Date: 2014-07-07 Author: Amogha-drk Krsna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

There is a natural law of which most of us are not aware; that taking a humble stance saves us from unnecessary trouble and waste of time.

To be humble involves personal austerity. Take for example if I, living in the Hare Krishna temple, become sick, and my superiors advice that I should stay in bed and fast in order to recover as quickly as possible. But if I do not follow their advice, but eat anyway or do not take proper rest, the result is that the time-span of my sickness is prolonged. Disease is usually a reaction to not properly controlling oneself, which is an austerity we have to do as human beings, and now the scope of that offense is expanding, burdening others, who have to cover my services while I’m sick now for an extended time-span. In this way I experience a break-down both materially and spiritually if I am not properly humble.

There is a striking example given in the Mahabharata, where the river Ganges is questioned by the Ocean why the thin- stemmed cane reeds are never washed down by the river’s currents to the ocean, while trees of huge stems are. This is so, the river explains, because of the cane’s docile and obedient nature.

MB 12.114.9-10 vetaso vegam āyāntaṃ dṛṣṭvā namati netaraḥ sa ca vege 'bhyatikrānte sthānam āsādya tiṣṭhati kālajñaḥ samayajñaś ca sadā vaśyaś ca no drumaḥ anulomas tathāstabdhas tena nābhyeti vetasaḥ

The cane, beholding the advancing current, bends to it. The others do not act in that way. After the current has passed away, the cane resumes its former posture. The cane knows the virtues of Time and opportunity. It is docile and obedient. It is yielding, without being stiff. For these reasons, it stands where it grows, without having to come with us.

The cane is praised as being time-wise (kālajñaḥ) because knowing the time (samayajña) to bend and the time to stand amounts to wisdom. In Srimad Bhagavatam, Maharaja Parikshit shows the perfect example of knowing the time to bend and the time to stand. As the most powerful king of his time, he was always ready to stand up and fight against evil. He says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.17.14, "Whoever causes offenseless living beings to suffer must fear me anywhere and everywhere in the world. By curbing dishonest miscreants, one automatically benefits the offenseless."

But after learning that he was cursed to die in seven days, he immediately assumed a humble position, not wanting to interfere with the current of time. In his purport to verse 1.12.2 of Srimad Bhagavatam Srila Prabhupada says, " Maharaja Parikshit knew that the curse of the brahmana's son upon him was unjustified, as everyone else knew, but he did not want to counteract it because he knew also that the age of Kali had begun and that the first symptom of the age, namely degradation of the highly talented brahmana community, had also begun. He did not want to interfere with the current of the time, but he prepared himself to meet death very cheerfully and very properly." Thus the King sat on the Ganges' bank to fast until death and give himself up to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. All the great Rshis and kings arrived there, foreseeing that the Srimad Bhagavatam would be spoken to the King by Sukadeva Goswami. Maharaja Parikshit then showed by personal example that bowing down is the best way for being excused from offenses.

"When they all assembled together to meet the Emperor [Parikshit], he received them properly and bowed his head to the ground." Srila Prabhupada explains, "The system of bowing the head to the ground to show respect to superiors is an excellent etiquette which obliges the honored guest deep into the heart. Even the first- grade offender is excused simply by this process, and Maharaja Parikshit, although honored by all the Rshis and kings, welcomed all the big men in that humble etiquette in order to be excused from any offenses." (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.19.11)

Our Gurudeva HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj once said that, "We must be ready to bow our heads before others and if we can't bow, then Krishna will force us to bow through his material energy known as time."

From this we can draw that if we do not practice humility, which is our natural spiritual dharma, then we will be forcefully humbled in various ways by material time, removing us from the completely unbroken (apratihata) spiritual time in Krishna's blissful service.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 12

Date: 2014-07-08 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

As you sow, so you shall reap. The Vedic scriptures, headed by the Srimad Bhagavatam, applies this in a universal context, teaching that everything material re-cycles, in the same way that seeds give plants and plants give seeds.

SB 10.63.26 kālo daivaṁ karma jīvaḥ svabhāvo dravyaṁ kṣetraṁ prāṇa ātmā vikāraḥ tat-saṅghāto bīja-roha-pravāhas tvan-māyaiṣā tan-niṣedhaṁ prapadye

Time; fate; karma; the jiva and his propensities; the subtle material elements; the material body; the life air; false ego; the various senses; and the totality of these as reflected in the living being's subtle body — all this constitutes your material illusory energy, maya, an endless cycle like that of seed and plant. I take shelter of You, the negation of this maya.

In his wonderful purport to the above verse Srila Prabhupada explains thebīja-roha-pravāhas word as follows: The conditioned soul accepts a material body, with which he attempts to enjoy the material world. That body is the seed (bīja) of future material existence because when a person acts with that body he creates further reactions (karma), which grow (roha) into the obligation to accept another material body.

Advances in material science have made visible detailed information regarding the gross body and seed. The invisible information regarding the jiva, or living soul inside the body, however, we have to receive from Krishna through His disciples of the Vedic literature. Srila Prabhupada, the foremost among Vedic preceptors in our day and age, explains it as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam verse 4.29.68. The" transmigration of the soul is caused by the subtle body, which is the storehouse of all kinds of material desires. Unless one is fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness, material desires will come and go. That is the nature of the mind — thinking, feeling and willing. As long as the mind is not engaged in meditation on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the mind will desire so many material enjoyments. Sensual images are recorded in the mind in chronological order, and they become manifest one after another; therefore the living entity has to accept one body after another."

According to our pious and impious desires, there is thus a constant flowpravāha ( ) of actions and reactions in our lives, sometimes rising us up (unmajjati) toward heaven and sometimes submerging us (nimajjati) in hell.

SB 11.24.15 mayā kālātmanā dhātrā karma-yuktam idaṁ jagat guṇa-pravāha etasminn unmajjati nimajjati

All results of fruitive work have been arranged within this world by Me, the supreme creator acting as the force of time. Thus one sometimes rises up toward the surface of this mighty river of the modes of nature and sometimes again submerges.

That is the price we have to pay for plunging into the river of the modes of nature, which separates us from the spiritual world. Thus Prahlada Maharaja prays in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 7.9.41,My " dear Lord, You are always transcendentally situated on the other side of the river of death, but because of the reactions of our own activities, we are suffering on this side. Indeed, we have fallen into this river and are repeatedly suffering the pains of birth and death and eating horrible things. Now kindly look upon us — not only upon me but also upon all others who are suffering — and by Your causeless mercy and compassion, deliver us and maintain us."

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 13

Date: 2014-07-13 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the series, "The Indefatigable Time", wherein we are meditating on the various features of time, as described in scriptures like Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita. Now let us continue further.

As we have learnt, things happen to us in the future, according to what we do now.As " you sow, so you shall reap." That is called karma. That is why you don't act just for what you desire in the present, unless you are extremely unintelligent, like a child or an animal. You plan ahead! To the degree that we are intelligent, we act in consideration of our future situation. The problem is that because of lack of Krishna consciousness, we are acting only in consideration of our long and short-term material goals, rather than the eternal goal of reviving our spiritual identity. As Srila Prabhupada puts it, in his book Teachings of Kapila, According" to the shastras, there is śreyas and preyas. Shreyas is the ultimate goal. We should act in such a way that ultimately we will become happy. However, if we want immediate happiness and disregard the future, we want preyas. Preyas is for unintelligent people and children."

An example in this regard is given in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 1, Chapter 18, "Maharaja Parikshit Cursed by a Brahmana Boy". When the brahmana boy Shringi cursed King Parikshit to die in seven days, the king understood that it was going to take place by the will of the Lord of time, and so he planned accordingly by immediately giving up his material life and took shelter of the sages at the bank of Yamuna, sincerely repenting for his act of throwing a dead snake around the neck of Shamika Rshi, who was in trance and hence did not heed to Parikshit Maharaj's request for water.

Srila Prabhupada explains nicely in purport to verse 1.12.2 of Srimad Bhagavatam,He " did not want to interfere with the current of the time, but he prepared himself to meet death very cheerfully and very properly. Being fortunate, he got at least seven days to prepare himself to meet death, and so he properly utilized the time in the association of Sukadeva Goswami, the great saint and devotee of the Lord." Maharaja Parikshit could have counteracted the curse by begging the Lord to protect him, but, as Prabhupada writes,He " did not want to interfere with the current of the time." This means that Maharaja Parikshit chose not to go against the Lord in His feature as the force of time, for the temporary benefit (preyas) of extending his sensual life, but instead went for the eternal benefit śreyas( ) of submitting to the Lord's arrangement by promptly renouncing his kingdom for taking to Krishna consciousness. And thus by taking the humble position, thinking, "This must be the Lord’s plan, I should not retaliate", he got himself saved by the Lord in just seven days from this endless organic-waste-cycle. Srila Prabhupada very nicely mentions in the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.19.13, "Apparently the King was condemned to death by an inexperienced brahmana boy, but factually he was called by the Lord to return to Him."

Due to his honest and humble nature and his respect for time, Krishna arranged to give him the gift of Srimad Bhagavatam through Sukadev Goswami. The point is that Krishna wants to save us from wasting so much time, constantly cycling in this current of rebirth (bhava-pravāha). Thus we must always be ready to accept what is His short- cut plan for getting us out of this material whirlpool gunormi-cakram( ). Sukadev Goswami says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 2.3.12, "Transcendental knowledge in relation with the Supreme Lord Hari is knowledge resulting in the complete suspension of the waves and whirlpools of the material modes. Such knowledge is self- satisfying due to its being free from material attachment, and being transcendental it is approved by authorities. Who could fail to be attracted?"

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 14

Date: 2014-07-23 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

It is said that in the Second World War, Japan ceased fighting after being hit by the atom bomb, understanding that fighting further would just destroy them more. It is a foolish waste of time trying to fight someone we know are superior to us, unless we want to hasten our own destruction. In Srimad Bhagavatam's 8th canto, the leader of the demons, Bali Maharaja, at one point urged his soldiers not to fight against the followers of Vishnu, because time was not in their favor.

"Previously, being empowered by providence, you defeated a great number of such followers of Lord Vishnu. But today those same followers, having defeated us, are roaring in jubilation like lions. Unless providence is in our favor, we shall not be able to gain victory.Therefore we must wait for that favorable time when our defeating them will be possible." (SB 8.21.23-24)

Previously, the demons, headed by Bali, were able to take over the very abode of the demigods. The demigods let them do so without resistance, understanding the demons superiority at that moment by the intelligent consul of Brihaspati. Later Aditi, the mother of the demigods, executed the payo-vrata ceremony in worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to get His help for conquering the demons. When the Lord finally appeared, He also said that it was not a favorable time to fight, because the demons were superior in strength, having being favored by the brahmana descendants of Bhrigu headed by Sukracharya. So again we see the advice is, to wait until a favorable time. The Lord then appeared as Aditi's son Vamanadev, in order to defeat the demons by trickery instead of by force. Assuming the form of a dwarf brahmacari Vamanadeva, the Lord, by His charming behavior, transcendentally tricked Bali to disobey his Guru, Shukra, for the sake of a request of three steps of land. Shukracharya forbade Bali to comply with the Lord's request, because he knew that Vamanadeva was Vishnu Himself in disguise. As Bali disobeyed his guru, Shukra swiftly cursed Bali to lose all his opulence, as sanctioned by the Lord. Then Lord, who never acts unfavorably towards the brahmanas, covered the whole world just by His two first steps, thus fulfilling Shukra's curse.

When the demoniac followers of Bali saw that, they angrily pushed forward to kill Vamanadeva. But because the demons now were in a weakened position, they were being killed by the powerful associates of the Lord. Maharaja Bali then remembered the curse of Shukra and forbade his soldiers to continue fighting. O" Vipracitti, O Rahu, O Nemi, please hear my words! Don't fight. Stop immediately, for the present time is not in our favor. O Daityas, by human efforts no one can supersede the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can bring happiness and distress to all living entities.The supreme time factor, which represents the Supreme Person, was previously in our favor and not in favor of the demigods, but now that same time factor is against us. No one can surpass the time representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by material power, by the counsel of ministers, by intelligence, by diplomacy, by fortresses, by mystic mantras, by drugs, by herbs or by any other means." (SB 8.21.19-22)

This history shows that both the demons and the demigods was following the Vedic science of warfare, of which an important factor is the ability to cease fighting when put under superior force by the power of time and providence. " Bhagavad-gita mentions five causes of defeat or victory. Of these five, daiva (providence) is the most powerful (na ca daivāt param balam). Bali Maharaja knew the secret of how he had formerly been victorious because providence was in his favor. Now, since that same providence was not in his favor, there was no possibility of his victory. Thus he very intelligently forbade his associates to fight." (SB 8.21.23 Purport)

In the Mahabharata, Bhismadeva refered to this knowledge of timely action in his exposition of kingly duties called Rajadharma. There Yudhisthira asks how should one behave towards a more powerful enemy, and Bhismadeva answers by relating to the behavior of the cane, who, when met by a superior force like the flowing river, always bends to it, only to resume its former position afterwards. And thus it avoids being broken.

MB 12.114.14 evam eva yadā vidvān manyetātibalaṃ ripum saṃśrayed vaitasīṃ vṛttim evaṃ prajñāna lakṣaṇam

An intelligent man, therefore, when he sees his enemy to be more powerful than himself, should adopt the behaviour of the cane. That is an indication of wisdom.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 15

Date: 2014-08-26 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Personal characteristics of time are revealed in the pages of the Srimad Bhagavatam, which we will see in the following discussion. To begin with, there is a description appearing in the Fifth Canto, 23rd chapter, of the planets revolving around the polestar Dhruvaloka, where time is said to be the causing unit. sa hi sarveṣāṁ jyotir-gaṇānāṁ graha-nakṣatrādīnām animiṣeṇāvyakta-raṁhasā bhagavatā kālena bhrāmyamāṇānāṁ sthāṇur ivāvaṣṭambha īśvareṇa vihitaḥ śaśvad avabhāsate.

Established by the supreme will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the polestar, which is the planet of Maharaja Dhruva, constantly shines as the central pivot for all the stars and planets. The unsleeping, invisible, most powerful time factor causes these luminaries to revolve around the polestar without cessation. (SB 5.23.2)

Here the entity of time is being revealed to us as a nitya-yukta devotee of the Lord, because he is stated to be " unsleeping" (animiṣena) in his devotional work of causing the luminaries to circumambulate Dhruva, who is a pure devotee of the Lord. The word animiṣa literary means "unblinking" and refers to the state of keeping the eyelids open, as related in Bhagavatam 7.3.31 (tvam eva kālo ’nimiṣo janānām āyur lavādy-avayavaiḥ kṣiṇoṣi):

"O my lord, Your Lordship is eternally awake, seeing everything that happens. As eternal time, you reduce the duration of life for all living entities through your different parts, such as moments, seconds, minutes and hours."

Another meaning of the word "animiṣa" attributed to time, is that it is unfailing and impossible to check, as seen in the following verse:

SB 5.14.29 kadācid īśvarasya bhagavato viṣṇoś cakrāt paramāṇv-ādi-dvi-parārdhāpavarga-kālopalakṣaṇāt parivartitena vayasā raṁhasā harata ābrahma-tṛṇa-stambādīnāṁ bhūtānām animiṣato miṣatāṁ vitrasta-hṛdayas tam eveśvaraṁ kāla-cakra-nijāyudhaṁ sākṣād bhagavantaṁ yajña-puruṣam anādṛtya pākhaṇḍa-devatāḥ kaṅka-gṛdhra-baka-vaṭa-prāyā ārya-samaya-parihṛtāḥ sāṅketyenābhidhatte.

The personal weapon used by Lord Krishna, the disc, is called hari-chakra, the disc of Hari. This chakra is the wheel of time. It expands from the beginning of the atoms up to the time of Brahma's death, and it controls all activities. It is always revolving and spending the lives of the living entities, from Lord Brahma down to an insignificant blade of grass. Thus one changes from infancy, to childhood, to youth and maturity, and thus one approaches the end of life. It is impossible to check this wheel of time. This wheel is very exacting because it is the personal weapon of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes the conditioned soul, fearing the approach of death, wants to worship someone who can save him from imminent danger. Yet he does not care for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose weapon is the indefatigable time factor. Here Srila Prabhupada, in his word-for-word translation of the Sanskrit, equals the word animiṣataḥ to be, "without blinking the eyes (without fail)".

The above verse also reveals time to be one of the personal servants of the Lord in the weapon category, namely the disc of the Lord Hari, thus bearing the devotional name "Hari-chakra". And that is why he is the most precise time calculator of all creation. Time is expanding from its lowest measure (atomic time), which is the time covered by the sun in passing over an atom (paramāṇu), up to its highest measure (supreme time), which completes at Brahma's death, viz., the end of the universe (311.04 trillion years, or dvi-parārdhā).

That even such a small measurement of time as the paramanu (which has been calculated as 26.3 microseconds) can be practically utilized in Vedic science, is related by Krishna in the Bhagavatam's chapter on yogic siddhis:

SB 11.15.12 paramāṇu-maye cittaṁ bhūtānāṁ mayi rañjayan kāla-sūkṣmārthatāṁ yogī laghimānam avāpnuyāt

I exist within everything, and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material elements. By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogi may achieve the perfection called laghima, by which he realizes the subtle atomic substance of time.

So, to sum up the above features we learnt about time:

1) Time is a person, an eternal servitor of God, bearing the devotional name Hari-chakra. 2) His form is the disc weapon of Lord Vishnu. 3) He is an indefatigable, tireless worker, a nitya-yukta devotee of the Lord, who is always awake, seeing everything that happens, unfailing in his activities and impossible to check. 4) His job is to be always revolving and spending the lives of all living entities, and to control all activities. 5) He expands from the beginning of the atoms (atomic time) up to the time of Brahma's death (supreme time). 6) He is very exact in reckoning the time of every creation in the world. 7) He is the most powerful. 8) He is invisible. 9) Even his smallest measurements are of practical value. 10) He is the cause of the revolution of the luminaries in the sky.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 16

Date: 2014-10-12 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

The Vedic concept of time informs us when to do what, in order to avoid trouble and get the best possible result. For example, the time period during an eclipse is said to be contaminated, therefore we are advised to avoid contamination by chanting the holy names of the Lord and other purificatory acts, rather than eating for example. Nowadays, because of a decline of faith and culture in general, people are not very apt at following regulations according to the calendar which were strictly followed before. Still in India people plan important events like conceiving a child and marriage according to auspicious dates in the Vedic calendar and moments of the day as well. And they would consult the local priest for a good time to conceive a child, and after birth its horoscope would be made. We'll look at some practical examples from the Bhagavatam in regards to election of time.

The first instance is the case of Diti conceiving a child with Kashyapa Muni at an improper moment (muhūrta) of the day called sāyam sandhya or evening twilight (dusk).

SB 3.14.38 kaśyapa uvāca aprāyatyād ātmanas te doṣān mauhūrtikād uta man-nideśāticāreṇa devānāṁ cātihelanāt

The learned Kaśyapa said: Because of your mind’s being polluted, because of defilement of the particular time, because of your negligence of my directions, and because of your being apathetic to the demigods, everything was inauspicious.

Srila Prabhupada comments that, "According to Vedic society, there is a suitable auspicious time for sex life, which is called the time for Garbhādhāna." Before conceiving a child, the Vedic rite (samskārā) called Garbhādhāna is to be performed for auspiciousness in this regard. For choosing an auspicious day of the month, auspicious and inauspicious stellar influences are considered according to the science of astrology (jyotiś). The specific time of the day (muhūrta) must also be considered. In consideration with one’s individual karma, auspicious moments for electing an activity, as well as the times to be avoided for the same, must be determined. The logic of this is the same as checking the weather forecast before going out on a picnic. One would like to avoid a rainy evening, and rather chose a sunny morning for example. In the same way, the moment chosen by Diti for conception was like one choosing a rainy evening for having a picnic; not very suitable.

His Divine Grace also mentions in purport to Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.12.12, "The samskārās of the school of sanātana-dharma (man's eternal engagement) are highly suitable for creating an atmosphere for taking advantage of good stellar influences, and therefore Garbhādhāna-samskārā, or the first seedling purificatory process prescribed for the higher castes, is the beginning of all pious acts to receive a good pious and intelligent class of men in human society. There will be peace and prosperity in the world due to good and sane population only; there is hell and disturbance only because of the unwanted, insane populace addicted to sex indulgence."

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering. Hare Krishna.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 17

Date: 2014-10-13 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

In the previous offering on this topic, we were seeing few examples from Srimad Bhagavatam on selection of time. Now let us continue to see further.

In purport to verse 3.20.29 Srila Prabhupada says, "As early morning is the period for spiritual cultivation, the beginning of evening is the period for passion." Demons and demoniac mentality are strong during the evening time. Therefore shastra recommends that we should engage ourselves in devotional service, either by chanting, doing arati or studying scriptures during evening twilight and not engage ourselves in other activities, which will increase our demoniac attitude.

Bhagavatam 6.18.60-61 relates that Diti at a later time also failed observing the evening sandhya, going to sleep at that muhurta without purifying herself after eating. This fault allowed Indra to enter her womb and cut her embryo into 49-nine pieces. One should perform spiritual activities for purification at the sandhya periods, otherwise one will be subject to inauspicious or demoniac influence. It is said in the Puranas that demons representing inauspicious qualities are allowed to enter into persons of unclean habits, who does not follow religious principles etc. In the bodies of such persons, demons are allowed to stay. That may be why it is said that in this age of Kali people in general appear to be ghostly hunted.

In Bhagavatam's 11th canto, 16th chapter, Lord Krishna mentions His opulent representations of the world, similar to Gita's 10th chapter. In regards to lunar constellations, He mentions that, "Among lunar houses I am the auspicious Abhijit." (SB 11.16.27)

In jyotish, the day is divided into 30 muhurtas, counted from sunrise to sunset. The most auspicious muhurta is the 8th, which occurs at midday and is called Abhijit. It is sometimes mentioned in connection with gaining victory as in the instance of Krishna winning the competition of piercing the fish-target at Srimati Lakshmana's svayamvara, "After all the arrogant kings had given up, their pride broken, the Supreme Personality of Godhead picked up the bow, easily strung it and then fixed His arrow upon it. As the sun stood in the constellation Abhijit, He looked at the fish in the water only once and then pierced it with the arrow, knocking it to the ground." (SB 10.83.25-26)

Srila Prabhupada explains that, "Each day the sun passes once through the lunar constellation Abhijit, marking the period most auspicious for victory. As pointed out by Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti, on this particular day the muhurta of Abhijit coincided with high noon, further emphasizing Lord Krishna's greatness by making the target all the more difficult to see." Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 18

Date: 2014-10-14 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the previous offering titled "The Indefatigable time", where in we were studying about the various aspects of time from Srimad Bhagavatam. Now let us continue further.

Why has God given us the day with its different parts, by which we are to perform different kind of duties? The scriptures given to us by the Lord, like Srimad Bhagavatam, teaches us that the day is there, with all its divisions, in order to make us pious. By performing whatever duties we are set, to do according to time, we are following the system of the Lord and thus develop on the way of goodness. This was observed by Mother Devahuti, who spoke the following verse to her son, Lord Kapiladeva in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.29.4:

kālasyeśvara-rūpasya pareṣāṁ ca parasya te svarūpaṁ bata kurvanti yad-dhetoḥ kuśalaṁ janāḥ

Please also describe eternal time, which is a representation of Your form and by whose influence people in general engage in the performance of pious activities.

By developing piety one will also come to appreciate the devotees of the Lord, as the devotees experience when preaching publicly on sankirtana, that pious people like to give donations for the cause of bhakti or devotional service. By continually supporting, a pious person is gradually purified so that he eventually will be able to perform devotional service himself.

In the Caitanya Caritamrta, Lord Caitanya ordered Sanatana Goswami to describe dīna-kritya; the ritualistic duties to be performed every day by a devotee. (CCM 24.340) These are mentioned in the Mahabharata (Nārāyanīya), where the Supreme Lord Narayana is addressed as the Lord of panca-kāla or five time divisions, and His devotees are called panca-kāla-jnās or the knowers of these five kālas. The panca-kala are also known as the five daily forms of worship, which are prescribed by the Lord in the Pancharatra section of the Vedas. The activities that we do at different parts of the day in this material world are perverted reflections of Krishna's lilas which are enacted according to different parts of the day in the spiritual world. Whatever we do, which is not in service of Krishna-lila are subjected to karma, viz., good or bad reactions on the material plane. For example if we regulate our material activities according to the vedic rules regarding time, place and circumstances, we will escape sin and rise to a higher standard of life. But we will still be stuck in material time. Only by acting in devotional service to Krishna can we escape material time all together and enter Krishna’s abode as a result of our activities, beyond both pious and impious karma.

The beginning of this regulated life in devotional service is called vaidhi sadhana-bhakti, and is performed according to the tenets of the Pancharatra literature. Given by the Supreme Lord Himself (pañcarātrasya kṛtsnasya vaktā nārāyaṇaḥ svayam), Pancharatra fully rules and regulates the life of the spiritual trainee in Krishna consciousness, with the aim of arousing his natural loving propensity for Krishna, minimizing his material activities as far as possible. In Pancharatra scriptures like the Jayākhya Samhita the Lord divides the day into five divisions for His worship which are as follows.

1 Abhigamana: approaching the temple, or in other words preparing oneself by taking bath, putting on proper cloth and decorations etc. One starts by rising before 4 AM for attending mangala-arati or morning worship at brahma muhurta, which is the most auspicious period in the day for worshiping the Lord. 2 Upadana: collecting and preparing the items to be used for worshiping the Lord.

3 Ijya: performing the worship of the Lord with the items.

4 Svadhyaya: glorifying the Lord by hearing and chanting about Him, scriptural study, giving instructions, etc.

5 Yoga: the meditation one has (by purifying himself of material mindset); about the Lord as the object of one's service and oneself as a servant of the Lord, ending at night again taking shelter of the Lord before resting, preparing for the next day of service to the Lord.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 19

Date: 2014-10-15 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Once we had a class with our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaja on the Bhagavatam and we read the wonderful purport of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada (Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.29.45) wherein Maharaja emphasized the following lines. "The phenomenal world is created, maintained and destroyed by the finger signal of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore a devotee does not desire anything in this material world. A devotee desires only to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This servitude exists eternally; the Lord exists eternally, His servitor exists eternally, and the service exists eternally."

If the connection (yoga) with Krishna is not there, we tend to view our duties as chores. Bhakti-yoga means that we connect ourselves with Krishna by pushing ourselves to meditate that we work every day, on route, simply by the finger signal of Krishna. Krishna is already doing everything – now we need to play our part in the relationship!

In the same way as said in the Bhagavatam (5.23.3) – that all the planets rotate on the wheel of Time (kāla-cakra āyojitā) in their respective orbits, tied to the Polar Star (Dhruvaloka) by the Lord's bonds of air (vāyu-vaśāḥ) – all conditioned souls are controlled in their respective duties according to time, tied to their gross and subtle bodies by the same ubiquitous subtle bond that – we have to admit – in reality is Krishna's bond of love for us. It works just like a loving father obliges his son to perform various duties like raising, washing, going to school etc. simply to teach him basic humanity; to be able to sacrifice his own selfish pleasure for the welfare of others. It all has to do with sacrifice. Without doing what we do as a sacrifice for others' happiness, we cannot be happy ourselves. Therefore we have the Vedas.

vedā hi yajnārtham abhipravrittāḥ kālānupūrvā vihitāśca yajnāḥ tasmād idaṁ kālavidhāna śāstram yo jyotiṣam veda sa veda yajnān

The Vedas have indeed been revealed for the sake of the performance of the sacrifices. However, these sacrifices are dependent on the (various segments of) time. Therefore, only he who knows the science of time, viz., Jyotisha, understands the performance of the sacrifices (fully). (RVJ 36)

In order to live our lives as a sacrifice for everyone's welfare, which is the reason why Krishna gave us the Vedas, we must be guided by Him who is invisible in our hearts as the Supersoul, and who directs us by the force of time. In the external, sensory world, He sends his representative in the form of a person who has dedicated his life to Krishna's service. Such a pure devotee is acting in full consciousness of the science of time, whose calculations tells us that we currently find ourselves around 5000 years into the age called Kali, which began in 3102 BC. We need this Vedic education about where we are in time in order for us to know actually what to do! Srila Prabhupada says that, " Just as a boy is educated in order to become happy later, one should be educated in this life in order to attain an eternal and prosperous life after death. It is therefore essential that people follow what is given in the shrutis and smritis to make sure that the human mission is successful."

Shruti pertains to Vedas like the Upanishads, and smriti are history-books like the Srimad Bhagavatam. In Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami says that the age of Kali we are living in is full of faults (kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan), and the great seer Shukracharya says that while performing sacrifices, the only way for us to rectify all these unavoidable faults, is to chant the holy names of Krishna (sarvaṁ karoti niśchidram anusaṅkīrtanaṁ tava), as in the Maha-mantra, which is given in the Kali-santarana Upanishad, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare — these sixteen names composed of thirty-two syllables are the only means to counteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga. In all the Vedas it is seen that to cross the ocean of nescience there is no alternative to the chanting of the holy name ." (CC Adi 7.76 P)

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 20

Date: 2014-10-28 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada sometimes quoted this saying, which fully agrees with the Vedic science given by Sri Krishna.

Sri Krishna, in the form of Dhanvantari, gave us the Ayuyrveda, which teaches that we get the best kind of energy from the sun, both physically and mentally, if we rise at the time before sunrise called brahma muhurta. It is also good for avoiding diseases (vyaadhis). Therefore it should be part of our healthy daily routine (dinaacharya). 'brahmi muhurthe uttishtet svasthyo rakshaartham aayushaha' - "To protect our physical and mental energy (ayush), we should wake at about 3:30 AM (brahmi muhurthe)." This is confirmed in the Garga Samhita (8.10.7), which says:

brāhme muhūrte cotthāya rāma-kṛṣṇeti ca bruvan natvā guruṁ bhuvaṁ caiva tato bhūmyāṁ padaṁ nyaset

One should rise at brahma muhurta, chant the holy names of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama, and bow down before one's guru. Only then should one place his feet on the ground.

In one class, our beloved spiritual master His Holiness Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj said that, "We must be cruel to ourselves regarding this point. We must get up at 3:30 am." Maharaj especially repeated this "3:30 am". If we find it difficult to wake up early, then in Bhagavatam verse 3.26.71 Lord Kapila says,

yathā prasuptaṁ puruṣaṁ prāṇendriya-mano-dhiyaḥ prabhavanti vinā yena notthāpayitum ojasā

When a man is sleeping, all his material assets — namely the vital energy, the senses for recording knowledge, the senses for working, the mind and the intelligence — cannot arouse him. He can be aroused only when the Supersoul helps him.

Maharaj says that sleeping is in our hands. But waking up is in Krishna's hands. So every night we have to pray to the Supersoul to wake us up in the morning. Maharaj says that if we pray earnestly, then the Lord definitely reciprocates and wakes us up, and there is no need of any alarm also.

I may have so many excuses why not to get up, but this is obviously Maharaj's standing order for us to follow. Even though my morning routine is done in 20 minutes, I should remember that Maharaj very much liked that we chant japa before mangala-artik. And where is the yoga in getting up just 20 minutes before mangal-artik, stressing through the morning routine with an agitated mind, whose only meditation is fear of being late? On the other hand, that good chanting on the Lord's Holy Names, in good time before mangal-artik, will make our yoga or Krishna consciousness good.

Also, at this time we are singing the Gurvashtakam prayers, by which the following blessing is given by its composer Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura, śrīmad guror aṣtakam etad uccair brāhme muhūrte paṭhati prayatnāt yastena vṛndāvana nātha sākṣāt sevaiva labhya januṣo’nta eva

That person who very attentively recites this ashtakam to Sri Gurudeva during brahma muhurta is sure to achieve direct service to the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, the very life and soul of Vrindavana, at the end of his life.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 21

Date: 2014-11-04 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the previous offering titled, "The Indefatigable Time" wherein we were discussing the various aspects of time from scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita. Now let us continue further.

Srila Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON and the famous author of innumerable books on Krishna-consciousness, emphasized that humanity follow the rites of passage called samskaara. Samskaaras marks important stages of time in one's life. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 10.5.4, Sukadeva Goswami while mentioning the various ways of purification says to Parikshit Maharaj,

kālena snāna-śaucābhyāṁ saṁskārais tapasejyayā śudhyanti dānaiḥ santuṣṭyā dravyāṇy ātmātma-vidyayā

O King, by the passing of time, land and other material possessions are purified; by bathing, the body is purified; and by being cleansed, unclean things are purified. By purificatory ceremonies, birth is purified ; by austerity, the senses are purified; and by worship and charity offered to the brahmanas, material possessions are purified. By satisfaction, the mind is purified; and by self-realization, or Krishna consciousness, the soul is purified.

So as per this verse pure devotees of Krishna is not dependent on samskārās for purification. But unfortunately, in this age we are all born impure (icchā-dveṣa-samutthena), hence samskārās are there to purify us, initially, from the lower modes of passion and ignorance. "In the Age of Kali, mlecchas, or lowborn people who have not undergone the purifying process of samskara, who do not know how to apply that process in actual life, and who are covered by the modes of passion and ignorance will take the posts of administrators. They will devour the citizens with their atheistic activities." (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.1.40) Srila Prabhupada comments in this connection that, "A person who is not purified by the prescribed process of samskaara is called asamskrita." (Caitanya Caritamrta Antya 3.124 purport)

Out of many samskārās which was followed before, only maybe three or four are relevantly possible for people today. Srila Prabhupada noted this and stressed that grahastas follow the most important samskārās of marriage and that for begetting a good child, the garbhādhāna samskārā. That presupposes proper planning, involving consulting a Vaishnava astrologer. In his purport to verse 3.21.15, Srila Prabhupada says, "Not more than twenty-five years ago, and perhaps it is still current, parents in India used to consult the horoscope of the boy and girl to see whether there would be factual union in their psychological conditions. These considerations are very important. Nowadays marriage takes place without such consultation, and therefore, soon after the marriage, there is divorce and separation. Formerly husband and wife used to live together peacefully throughout their whole lives, but nowadays it is a very difficult task."

Thus most marriages today are built on a shaky foundation, and coupled with not knowing the science of securing an auspicious birth, they naturally shun the risk. If the child would happen to be of mean character or retarded, that would be an extra burden on top of the already laborious toil of raising a child. Therefore avoiding childbirth by artificial means is very popular today.

Krishna willing we shall see the guidance provided by scriptures for the above problem, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 22

Date: 2014-11-06 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the previous offerings titled, "The Indefatigable Time" wherein we were discussing the various aspects of time from scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita. In the previous offering we saw how samskārās mark important stage in one's life. We were seeing few points on garbhadhāna samskār as mentioned by Srila Prabhupada. Now let us continue further.

In his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.5.19 Srila Prabhupada says, "The birth of a human being is a great science, and therefore reformation of the act of impregnation according to the Vedic ritual called Garbhādhāna- samskārā is very important for generating good population. The problem is not to check the growth of the population, but to generate good population on the level of Vidura, Vyāsa and Maitreya. There is no need to check the growth of population if the children are born as human beings with all precautions regarding their birth."

Vedic culture teaches that one is actually deciding what child one is going to get by one's own preparation with all precautions. Otherwise, it is like gambling; one does not know what to expect. Srila Prabhupada says in his purport to verse 4.22.53, "How one can beget children according to one's own desire is practically unknown in the present age (Kali-yuga). In this regard the secret of success depends on the parents' acceptance of the various purificatory methods known as samskārās". Therefore one must follow a teacher (acharya) in the line of Vedic sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada, the acharya of the Gaudiya-Madhva-Brahma-sampradaya, says in his purports to verse 3.14.38 of Srimad Bhagavatam that, "Before engaging in sexual intercourse, both the husband and the wife must consider their mental condition, the particular time, the husband's direction, and obedience to the demigods. According to Vedic society, there is a suitable auspicious time for sex life, which is called the time for garbhādhāna."

We see in Srimad Bhagavatam, the example of Diti and Kashyapa Muni. At the time of conception Diti's mental condition was neither sober, nor devotional. She requested Kashyapa Muni to unite with her at an inappropriate time. That was the time when Lord Siva travels along with his followers. She did not accept her husband's direction to wait for appropriate time. Kashyapa Muni had warned her that, the forbidden time for sexual intercourse would be noted by Lord Shiva, and Diti would meet with proper punishment by giving birth to a child of ghostly character or a godless impersonalist. But since Diti didn't take care of these things she had to beget demoniac children like Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha.

In his purport to verse 3.16.35 of Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada says, "It is to be concluded that while conceiving a child one's mind must be very sober and devotional. For this purpose the Garbhādhāna-samskārā is recommended in the Vedic scriptures. If the mind of the father is not sober, the semen discharged will not be very good. Thus the living entity, wrapped in the matter produced from the father and mother, will be demoniac like Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. The conditions of conception are to be carefully studied." In the Srimad Bhagavatam, King Prithu and Arci shows the positive way of mental condition. They underwent the garbhādhāna purificatory process before begetting children, and thus they begot all their sons according to their desires and purified mental states.

For securing that prospective parents are in a favorable mental condition, Srila Prabhupada prescribed that they chant 50 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra before conception.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark. The Indefatigable Time - Part 23

Date: 2014-12-27 Author: Amogha-drk Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Time is deceptive and tends to bring vice if we do not utilize it in Krishna's service or see Krishna's hand in challenging times. Therefore one has to be wise not to be deluded by its waves. This is often portrayed in scriptural accounts like that of the Pandava’s gambling match with the Kauravas, whichagitated many to the point of madness, while others did not lose their composure. Those who are really wise understand that somehow the plan of Krishna is unveiling even trough inauspicious scenes, and thus remain un-agitated despite every reason to be so. And that is the Vedic definition of a wise man (dhira) in Krishna consciousness. Because the Supreme Lord, Krishna, sanctions both fortunate and unfortunate results of our karma brought about by the wheel of time.

In the Ashvamedha Parva of the Mahabharata (MB 14.45.3-8), Krishna depicts the wheel of time in all its horrific glory.

ahorātra parikṣepaṃ śītoṣṇaparimaṇḍalam sukhaduḥkhānta saṃkleśaṃ kṣutpipāsāvakīlanam

chāyā tapa vilekhaṃ ca nimeṣonmeṣa vihvalam ghoramohajanākīrṇaṃ vartamānam acetanam

māsārdha māsagaṇitaṃ viṣamaṃ lokasancaram tamo nicayapaṅkaṃ ca rajo vegapravartakam

sattvālankāra dīptaṃ ca guṇasanghāta maṇḍalam svaravigraha nābhīkaṃ śokasanghāta vartanam

kriyā kāraṇasaṃyuktaṃ rāgavistāram āyatam lobhepsā parisankhyātaṃ viviktajñānasaṃbhavam

bhayamohaparīvāraṃ bhūtasaṃmoha kārakam ānanda prītidhāraṃ ca kāmakrodhaparigraham

Day and Night are the rotations of that wheel. It is encircled by heat and cold. Pleasure and pain fire its joints, and hunger and thirst are the nails fixed into it. Sun-shine and shade are the ruts (it causes). It is capable of being agitated during even such a short space of time as is taken up by the opening and the closing of the eyelid. It is enveloped in the terrible waters of delusion. It is ever revolving and void of consciousness. It is measured by months and half-months. It is not uniform (being ever-changing), and moves through all the worlds. Penances and vows are its mud. Passion's force is its mover. It is illuminated by the great egoism, and is sustained by the qualities. Vexations (caused by the non- acquisition of what is desired) are the fastenings that bind it around. It revolves in the midst of grief and destruction. It is endued with actions and the instruments of action. It is large and is extended by attachments. It is rendered unsteady by cupidity and desire. It is produced by variegated ignorance. It is attended upon by fear and delusion, and is the cause of the delusion of all beings. It moves towards joy and pleasure, and has desire and wrath for its possession.

There are many teachings to derive from this. We tend to think what we got at the moment in terms of family, friends, social position, economic development etc. makes us somewhat secure. But we forget that it is completely illusory, and will be taken away from us whenever the time factor sees it fit.

To begin with our very conception of ourselves is illusory, what to speak of our bodily relations and belongings. For example, in a fight between Bali and Indra, Indra takes foothold over Bali and utters many proud statements in the mood of a victor. But Bali as the great seer he is, replies that, Why“ you are so proud of your supposed position over me? By the course of time, what I am now, you will become.” And surely so, later on Bali was able to conquer Indra, and so indeed their positions were swapped as forecasted by Bali.

By learning to know the deluding nature of time we can come more easily transcend it’s whirlpools for the sake of turning to Krishna consciousness. And this can only be done by being firmly serious in always trying to increase our giving in the service of the devotees of Krishna.

Krishna willing we shall relish more nectar from the Bhagavatam in regards to time, in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Amogha-drk Krishna das Denmark.