by Sutapa Das © 2019, Bhaktivedanta Manor Text: Sutapa Das Layout: Yogendra Sahu Artwork courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. www.krishna.com. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness Founder Acarya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada College of Vedic Studies Bhaktivedanta Manor, Hilfield Lane, Watford, WD25 8EZ 01923 851000 www.krishnatemple.com [email protected] Contents The Inspiration ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements ...........................................................................................................................................7 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 S.L.A.P | SB starts with a slap; a wake-up call from God .......................................14 C.U.T | SB can cut our attachment to the material world ................................... 44 S.A.V.E.S | SB saves the listener from repeated birth and death ..................66 S.K.I.P | SB empowers you to skip over obstacles ...................................................104 R.E.A.P | SB helps you reap the true benefit of human life ............................. 136 E.P.I.C | SB is an epic among all literature .................................................................... 162 O.P.E.N | SB can open the door to the spiritual world.......................................... 192 G.O.L.D | SB is more valuable than gold .......................................................................220 D.R.A.G | SB can drag even an unqualified person to perfection ...............250 B.A.B.Y | SB describes the pastimes of baby Krishna ..........................................282 M.A.D | SB is will teach one to become mad after Krishna ............................... 316 S.U.M | SB contains the sum total of all spiritual knowledge .........................346 N.A.M.E | SB prescribes the holy name as the process for the age ........... 374 Biliography ......................................................................................................................................................... 401 Author .................................................................................................................................................................. 403 The Inspiration 4 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a saint like no other. At the age of 69, homeless, penniless and alone, he arrived in the Lower East Side of New York in search of ‘better opportunities’ to share his message. This was Skid row; the lowest of the low. Here he lived, worshiped, studied and taught. Every evening, his latest residence, the rat-ridden 94 Bowery, would fill up with buzzing acidheads, bearded bohemians, ruined alcoholics and disillusioned dropouts. Sex, music, LSD, and consciousness expansion; that’s what made them tick. The Swami would nonchalantly step into the makeshift ‘temple’ and take his seat at the front, face-to-face with these confused souls who were looking for real love, real happiness and real spiritual experience. The Swami, however, was unfazed; his face exuding bottomless depth and boundless compassion. In short, straight, simple philosophical discourses, he taught them eternal truths with resounding impact. When he sang in unsophisticated tunes with a bongo drum, their heads would spin, and their hearts were conquered. His tremendous devotion empowered his urgent message to penetrate the depths of their consciousness. He effortlessly smashed layers of illusion, unrelentingly exposing the fallacy of all materialistic ideology. From these humble beginnings, Prabhupada went on to found the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and in a few short years made “Hare Krishna” a household name. No amount of social commentary, historical analysis or academic conjecture can account for his incredible achievements. Prabhupada’s life is tangible proof of a spiritual miracle. Thank you to Srila Prabhupada. From morning to night, day after day, in every imaginable forum, he was teaching, writing, leading, managing, encouraging, problem-solving; using every last bit of energy to spark a spiritual revolution through Srimad- Bhagavatam. His life is a constant challenge to delve deeper, think bigger and extend further. 5 Acknowledgements “My path is very difficult. I am blind, and my feet are slipping again and again. Therefore, may the saints help me by granting me the stick of their mercy as my support.” (Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami) 6 My spiritual master, Kadamba Kanana Swami, is the proofreader of my life. He is the sharp and saintly soul who expertly guides me at every step, revealing a vision of the future that extends way beyond my own limited conceptions. His absorption in Srimad-Bhagavatam ignited something within me, and because he told me to write, I’m trying my best. There are some individuals who have more faith in you than yourself. For me, Srutidharma Das is one of those people; an endless fountain of encouragement and empowerment. He lives for others, and his undiminishing level of selflessness brings the teachings of these ancient scriptures to life. He has always lovingly pushed me, and for that I’ll always remain indebted. I am a self-confessed plagiarist. I learnt so many things about Srimad- Bhagavatam from the dedicated devotees at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Further afield in the ISKCON world, we are nourished by the insights of individuals who have deeply studied and grasped the Bhagavatam’s concepts. Many of these devotees and their works are referenced in the bibliography. Thank you to you all. A group of kind-hearted devotees looked over the manuscript at its various stages, offering invaluable feedback, input and advice – Sanatana, Chris, Hari Vallabhi, Nitai, Anamika, Dimple, Manju, Hariprasad, Govinda and Govardhana. The time and energy you lent me is deeply appreciated. And how can I forget Yogi – my good friend, a technical whizz kid who can magically transform a manuscript into a printed book. You are the best. After arriving in New York, Srila Prabhupada began publishing “Back to Godhead” magazine and insisted that every issue contain articles written by his young students. He was concerned that ancient truths be carried into the modern context in suitable language and with reference to the contemporary needs, interests and concerns of the people. His predecessor, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, another prolific writer, explained how many people simply study books, collect information and then store those facts, like a magistrate imprisons a criminal in jail. He labelled it “fruitless retention.” Rather, he said, one should take such knowledge, sincerely apply it in one’s life, and then creatively share it according to personal experience and taste. ‘Book Bhagavata’ is a humble attempt to fulfil their wishes, and in some insignificant way encourage people to excavate the Srimad-Bhagavatam for their own transcendental gems. My attempt is simply to encourage the reader to approach the original source of knowledge: the profound narrations of the sages, translated and commented on by Srila Prabhupada. ‘Book Bhagavata’ has also been produced in a spirit of self-improvement, with the sincere desire to deepen my connection with this priceless treasure-house of knowledge. It’s a grave responsibility to re-present the most profound teachings in the universe; a task which calls for genuine purity and freedom from worldly ambition. Please forgive any mistakes I have made, which are likely due to my limited knowledge and lack of spiritual depth. Sutapa Das 7 Introduction “There are two types of Bhagavatas, namely the book Bhagavata and the devotee Bhagavata. Both the Bhagavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhagavata is as good as the book Bhagavata because the devotee Bhagavata leads his life in terms of the book Bhagavata and the book Bhagavata is full of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bhagavatas. Bhagavata book and person are identical.” (SB 1.1.18) 8 Life’s Constant Companion Time ticks by, and everything in our life changes – the place where we live, the people who surround us, the responsibilities we shoulder and the condition of the body we possess. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna rubberstamps the material world as asasvatam, a place where everything invariably fades away. That transitory nature triggers feelings of discomfort and insecurity within us. Thus, Krishna further describes the material world as dukhalayam, a place of inevitable misery and suffering. Nobody is exempt. By nature, however, we are eternal, pleasure-seeking, spiritual beings. That quality is so inherent that it’s undeniable. How do we navigate this world, which sometimes seems so alien? How do we find our purpose and satisfy our innermost yearning? How can we live joyful lives and discover the happiness and security we so much seek? How do we deal with the emotions, experiences and events of day-to-day life? For that, Krishna lends a helping hand. Srimad-Bhagavatam is known as ‘Book Bhagavata’ – the Supreme Lord who has appeared in the form of a scripture. The saints recommend that we form a deep bond with this sacred text and carry it as our constant companion.