Çré Päëòava-nirjalä Ekädaçé Issue no:89 24th June 2018 What Is Bhägavata ? Features

Yamaraja Instructs His Messengers Srila Sukadeva Goswami

What Is Use Of Bhägavata Dharma If It Is Very Rarely Understood? His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami

Why Did Bhägavata Dharma Appear in the world? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Why Only The Bhägavata Dharma Is Eternal? Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura Issue no 89, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä guëa, rajo-guëa and tamo-guëa]? If there are in this universe various rulers and justices who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize each other, and no one will be either punished or rewarded. Or, if their contradictory acts fail to neutralize each other, everyone will have to be both punished and rewarded. Since there are many different workers (karmés), there may be different judges or rulers to administer them. However, just as an emperor centrally controls different departmental rulers, there must be one supreme controller to guide all the judges. The supreme judge must naturally be one, not many. It was our understanding that you are Yamaraja Instructs His Messengers that supreme judge and that you have Srila Sukadeva Goswami jurisdiction over even the demigods. Our impression was that you are the master King Pariksit said: O your lordship of all living entities and the supreme Sukadeva Goswami, Yamaraja is the authority who discriminates between the controller of all living entities in terms of pious and impious activities of all human their religious and irreligious activities, but beings. However, now we have seen that in this case his order has been thwarted. the punishment ordained under your When his servants, the Yamadutas, authority is no longer effective, since your informed him of their being stopped in order has been apparently transgressed by arresting Ajamila by the Vishnudutas, how four wonderful and perfect persons. When, did he respond? O great sage, never before following your order, we were bringing has it been heard anywhere that an order the very sinful Ajamila toward the hellish from Yamaraja has been baffled. Therefore planets, those beautiful persons from I think that people will feel doubtful about Siddhaloka forcibly cut the ropes with this. However I am firmly convinced that which we were binding him. At the very you can clarify all this so kindly explain the very moment the sinful Ajamila uttered the causes of these extraordinary occurrences. name , these four beautiful men Sri Sukadeva Goswami replied: My dear immediately arrived and reassured him, King, when the order carriers of Yamaraja saying, “Do not fear. Do not fear.” We wish were checked and defeated by the order to learn about them from your lordship. If carriers of Lord , they gingerly you think we are able to understand this approached their master, the controller matter, kindly describe who they are, and of Samyamani puri and chastiser of sinful whom they serve. persons, to tell him of this incident. Sri Sukadeva Goswami said: Having The Yamadutas said: Our dear lord, how been thus questioned, Lord Yamaraja, the many controllers or rulers are there in supreme controller of the living entities, this material world? How many causes are was very pleased with his order carriers responsible for manifesting the respective because of hearing the holy name of results of activities performed under the Narayana from them. He focused his mind three modes of material nature [- on the lotus feet of the Lord and began to Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.nbsmag.com nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 89, Page—3 reply. ascertain the true nature and capacity of the Yamaraja said: My dear servants, you have Supreme Lord by their senses, mind, life accepted me as the Supreme, but actually I air, nor by thoughts within the heart, or by am not supreme. Above me, and above all the exercising the faculty of speech. The the other demigods- including and Supreme Personality of Godhead is self- Candra- is the one supreme master and sufficient and completely independent. He controller. , Vishnu and , who is the master of everyone and everything, are in charge of the creation, maintenance including the illusory material energy. He and annihilation of this universe, are the has personal form, qualities and features; partial manifestations of His personality. He and similarly His order carriers, the is like the warp and weft threads of a woven Vaishnavas, who are very beautiful, possess cloth. The entire world is controlled by Him bodily features, transcendental qualities in the same way that a bull is controlled by and a transcendental nature almost like His. a rope in its nose. As the driver of a bullock Fully independent, they perpetually wander cart affixes ropes to the nostrils of his bulls within this world. These order carriers of to control them, the Supreme Personality Lord Vishnu, who are worshiped even by of Godhead binds all humanity through the demigods, possess wonderful bodily the ‘ropes’ of His words in the , which features exactly like those of Vishnu and set forth the names and activities of the are very rarely seen by man or demigod. distinct orders of human society namely the The Vishnudutas protect the devotees of brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya and çüdra. the Lord from the onslaughts of enemies, Out of deference to Him, the members of envious persons, natural disturbances and these orders all worship the Supreme Lord, even from my jurisdiction.. presenting Him honoury gifts according Real religious principles are enunciated to their respective activities. I, (Yamaraja); and enacted by the Supreme Personality of Indra, the King of ; Nirrti; ; Godhead. Although completely situated in Candra, the moon-god; ; Lord Shiva; the mode of goodness, even the great åñis Pavana; Lord Brahma; , the sun-god; who occupy the topmost planets cannot Vishvasu; the eight Vasus; the Sadhyas; the factually ascertain real religious principles. Maruts; the ; the ; Marici and Neither can the demigods nor the leaders the other great åñis engaged in maintaining of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the , the departmental affairs of the universe, as Vidyadharas and Caranas, or ordinary well as the best of the demigods headed by human beings. Lord Brahma, Brhaspati, and the great sages headed by , Lord Shiva, the , Lord Bhrgu all of whom are certainly freed from [the son of Devahuti], Svayambhuva the influence of the two base material modes , Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, of nature, namely rajo-guëa and tamo-guëa (passion and ignorance.) Nevertheless, Grandfather , Bali Maharaja, although we are in the elevated mode Sukadeva Goswami and I myself know the of goodness (sattva-guëa), we cannot real religious principle. understand the activities of the Supreme My dear servants, this transcendental Personality of Godhead. What then is to be religious principle, which is known as said of others, who under illusion merely bhägavata-dharma, is uncontaminated by speculate to know God? the material modes of nature and consists of As the different parts of the body cannot surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love see the eyes, the living entities cannot see for Him. By nature it is very confidential the Supreme Lord, who is situated as the and difficult for ordinary human beings to Supersoul in their very hearts. Factually understand; but if by chance a fortunate speaking, the living entities can not person understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back www.nbsmag.com Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 89, Page — 4 Top left 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä to Godhead. Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society. My dear servants, who are as dear as my sons, please note how glorious it is to chant the holy name of the Lord. Intending to call his son, the extremely sinful Ajamila indirectly chanted the Lord’s holy name. Nevertheless, by that chanting of the holy name of the Lord, he remembered Narayana, and thus he was immediately saved from the clutches of death. Therefore, it should be known that one is easily released from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and subsequently chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only recommended process for one seeking relief from sinful reactions. If one chants the holy name of the Lord even with improper pronunciation, he will still achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offense. For example, Ajamila, though extremely sinful, unintentionaly chanted the holy points, intelligent men resolve to end name whilst dying. Although his purpose all problems by adopting the devotional was calling his son, he achieved complete service of chanting the holy name of the liberation because he remembered the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone’s name of Narayana. Due to being bewildered heart and who is the complete reservoir of by the illusory energy of the Supreme auspicious qualities. Such wise persons are Personality of Godhead, and not within my jurisdiction. Generally they and other compilers of the religious don’t commit sinful activities; but even if scriptures cannot comprehend the secret, by mistake or because of bewilderment or confidential religious system known by the illusion they do some commit sinful act, twelve mahäjanas. They cannot understand they are protected from sinful reactions the transcendental merit achieved by because they always chant the Hare devotional service and chanting the Hare . Krishna mantra. Their intelligence has My dear servants, please do not approach become dull because their minds are such devotees at any time, for they have attracted to the ritualistic ceremonies fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the mentioned in the Vedas- namely the Yajur Supreme Personality of Godhead. They Veda, Säma Veda and Åg Veda. Thus they are are equal to everyone, and their glories are engage in performing ritualistic ceremonies sung by the demigods and the perfected that yield only temporary benefits, such as inhabitants of Siddhaloka. Please do elevation to heavenly plantes (svargaloka) not even go near them. They are always for temporary material happiness. They are protected by the club of the Supreme interested in dharma käma mokña, Personality of Godhead, and therefore but are not attracted to the saìkértana Lord Brahma, I and even the time factor movement of chanting the Lord’s holy are not competent to chastise them. names. Taking into consideration all these Paramahaàsas are exalted persons who Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.nbsmag.com nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 89, Page—5 have no taste for material enjoyment and who activities at all, as such endeavours are drink the honey of the Lord’s lotus feet. My invariably performed under the modes of dear servants, bring to me for punishment material nature and eventually yeild only only those persons who are averse to the misery. Indeed, the experienced devotees taste of that honey, who do not associate never give up the lotus feet of Krishna with Paramahaàsas and who are attached to return to material activities. Others to family life and worldly enjoyment, which however, who are addicted to Vedic rituals is the path to hell. My dear servants, please because they have never properly served bring to me only those sinful persons who the Lord’s lotus feet and are bewitched by do not use their tongues to chant the holy material desires, sometimes perform acts of name and qualities of Sri Krishna, whose atonement. Nevertheless, because they are hearts have not remembered His lotus feet not completely purified, they repeatedly even once, and whose heads have never return. bowed before Him even one time. Send me Hearing from the mouth of their master those who do not perform their obligatory about the extraordinary glories of the Lord duties toward Vishnu, which are the only and His name, fame and attributes, the real duties in human life. Please bring me Yamadutas were speechless with wonder. only such fools and rascals. Since that time, whenever they see a [Then Yamaraja adopted the mood that he devotee, they fell apprehensive and dare and his servants were at fault, and spoke as not glance towards him again. When the follows, begging pardon from the Supreme great sage , the son of Kumbha, Lord.] O my Lord, my servants have surely was worshiping the Supreme Personality committed a great offense by arresting a of Godhead, residing in the Malaya Hills I Vaishnava devotee of yours such as Ajamila. approached him, and from him I heard this O Narayana, O supreme and oldest person, confidential history. kindly forgive us. Due to ignorance, we failed — Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 6: Prescribed to recognize Ajamila as a servant of Your Duties for Mankind » Chapter 3: Yamaraja Instructs His Messengers Lordship, and thus we committed a grave » Verses: 1-35. offense. With folded hands we therefore beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are What Is Use Of Bhägavata Dharma If It Is supremely merciful and are a reservoir of Very Rarely Understood? good qualities, please pardon us. We offer His Divine Grace our respectful obeisance unto You. A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot the reactions of even the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the In Bhagavad-gétä Lord Krishna refers to names of the Lord (saìkértana) is the most bhägavata-dharma as the most confidential auspicious activity in the entire universe. religious principle (sarva-guhyatamam, Please try to understand this so that others guhyäd guhyataram). Krishna says to will similarly take it seriously. One who , "Because you are My very dear constantly hears and chants the holy name friend, I am explaining to you the most of the Lord and who hears and chants about confidential principle of religion." Sarva- His activities can very easily attain the dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà platform of pure devotional service, and thus vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up all other duties cleanse the material contamination from his and surrender unto Me." One may ask, "If heart. One cannot achieve such purification this principle is very rarely understood, by observing vows or performing Vedic what is the use of it?" In answer, Yamaraja ritualistic ceremonies. Devotees who always states that this religious principle is taste the honey coming from the lotus feet understandable if one follows the paramparä of Lord Krishna do not care for material system of Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, the four www.nbsmag.com Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 89, Page — 6 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä

Kumaras and the other standard authorities. Bhagavad-gétä, the preliminary study of There are four lines of disciplic succession: the Bhägavatam, real religious principles, one from Lord Brahma, one from Lord bhägavata-dharma, are described as Çiva, one from Laksmi, the goddess of dharmaà Bhägavatam. What are these fortune, and one from the Kumaras. The principles? The Bhägavatam says, dharmaù disciplic succession from Lord Brahma projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: [Bhäg 1.1.2]. In is called the Brahma-sampradäya, the Çrémad-Bhägavatam there is no discussion succession from Lord Shiva (Çambhu) is of materially motivated religion. Everything called the -sampradäya, that from in the Bhägavatam is directly connected with the goddess of fortune, Laksmiji, is called the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The the Çré-sampradäya, and the one from the Bhägavatam further says, sa vai puàsäà paro Kumäras is called the Kumära-sampradäya. dharmo yato bhaktir adhokñaje: [Bhäg 1.2.6]. One must take shelter of one of these four the supreme religion is that which teaches sampradäyas in order to understand the its followers the way to love the Supreme most confidential religious system. In the Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the Padma Puräëa it is said, sampradäya-vihénä reach of experimental knowledge. Such ye manträs te niñphalä matäù: if one does not a religious system begins with tan-näma- follow one of the four recognized disciplic grahaëa, chanting of the holy name of the successions, his mantra or initiation is Lord (çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù smaraëaà fruitless. In the present day there are many päda-sevanam. When one chants the holy apasampradäyas, or sampradäyas (spiritual name of the Lord and dances in ecstasy, he communities)which are not bona fide, as gradually sees the form of the Lord, then they have no link to authorities like Lord the pastimes of the Lord and finally he Brahma, Lord Shiva, the Kumaras or Laksmi. realizes the transcendental qualities of the People are misguided by such sampradäyas. Lord. In this way one fully understands the The çästras say that being initiated in such a true nature of the Personality of Godhead. sampradäya is a useless waste of time, for by One can come to understand how the Lord it one will never be able to understand the He descends into the material world, how real religious principles. He takes His births and what activities In Çrémad-Bhägavatam itself or in He performs. This one can know only by Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.nbsmag.com nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 89, Page—7 executing devotional service. As stated in Bhagavad-gétä, bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti: [Bg. 18.55] simply by devotional service one can understand everything about the Supreme Lord. If a fortunate person understands the Supreme Lord in this way, the result is tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti: [Bg. 4.9] after giving up his material body, he is no longer forced to take birth in this material world. Instead, he returns home, back to Godhead. That is the ultimate perfection. Therefore Krishna says in Bhagavad-gétä (8.15): mäm upetya punar janma duùkhälayam açäçvatam näpnuvanti mahätmänaù saàsiddhià paramäà gatäù

"After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogés in devotion, never return to this impermanent and miseable world, because they have attained the highest perfection." — Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 6: Prescribed and liberation.” If the living entities, who Duties for Mankind » SB 6.3: Yamaraja Instructs His Messengers » are the Supreme Lord’s integral parts, want Verse: 22 and 23 to fulfill their self-interest, independent of Him, their downfall is inevitable. A living entity’s happiness lies solely in his endeavor Why Did Bhägavata Dharma to please the Supreme Lord. His distress Appear in the world? comes when he tries to achieve personal Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati happiness separate from the Supreme Lord.. Religion can be divided into two categories. Religiosity, economic development, and One is the religion based on measuring sense gratification are considered categories everything according to our sensual of ,(materially motivated work) knowledge, and the other is the religion while liberation is considered a category of simply worshiping transcendence. By of jïäna(spiritual knowledge aimed at following the former, one can never attain salvation). In order to deliver human society the Supreme Lord’s association. Unrestricted from these witches of material enjoyment material enjoyment, karma, jïäna, , and and liberation, bhägavata-dharma manifests the observance of spiritual vows, fall into in this world. Human society has currently this former category. Every other religion concluded that either material enjoyment or teaches either the philosophy of enjoyment the freedom from subsequent sufferings of or renunciation, but bhägavata-dharma material enjoyment is its only religion. But teaches service to the transcendent Lord. bhägavata-dharma has created a revolution Thus the philosophy of Çrémad-Bhägavatam in the thoughts of the entire human society. is unique. Thus the Bhägavatam instructs: “The eternal We should put the philosophies of sense occupational duty of all living entities is to gratification, karma, and jïäna on one side engage in the service of the transcendental of a scale and the teachings of Çrémad- Personality of Godhead, after completely Bhägavatam on the other. Then we should shedding the desires for material enjoyment www.nbsmag.com Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 89, Page — 8 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä make an impartial comparative study to see !! Sri Sri Gaurchandra Jayati !! which side of the scale is heavier, or in other ISKCON words which ideal has more profundity. Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya is a branch of Place the pure worship of Vishnu on one International Society for Krishna Consciousness side and the worship of Surya, , Founder-Ācārya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda , and Shiva, along with hypocritical worship of Vishnu based on considering Ongoing Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Projects: Him a demigod(païca-upäsanä), on the 1. Bhāgavata Vidyālaya – other. Let the intelligent decide which side A program to systemactically teach Srimad-Bhāgavatam for your has undivided truth. temple/community. — Amåta Väëé: Nectar of Instructions of Immoratality: Srila 2. Bhāgavata Carcā – A 64-week program compiled from 64 chapters of Srimad- Bhaktisid¬dhänta Sarasvaté Thäkura. Published by Bhāgavatam Das,Touchstone Media. 3. Self-study course on Srimad-Bhāgavatam. 4. Self-study course on Caitanya-caritāmṛta Why Only The Bhägavata Dharma 5. Bhāgavata Teachers Training course. Is Eternal? Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura 6. Fortnightly e-magazine exclusively on Srimad-Bhāgavatam in English and Monthly in Spanish. “Devotional service to Sri is known 7. Organising Bhāgavata Mahotsavas. as Suddha vaiñëava dharma, Nityä- For arranging seminars/training sessions or to begin Bhāgavata dharma, Jaiva-dharma, Bhägavata-dharma, Mahāvidyālaya in your temple/community write to us: Paramätma-dharma and Para-dharma. [email protected] The religious principles that have arisen Visit our website for subscribtions: www.nbsmag.com from the predisposition towards and Paramätmä are temporary. There Copy Editor Isha Prakash Das is a motive behind the search for the impersonal Brahmän, therefore it is causal, Editor, and hence temporary. A conditioned soul Vrajsevika Dasi trying to achieve freedom from material Assistance bondage takes shelter of temporary Rasa Manjari Devi Dasi religious principles in the way of pursuing Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada the impersonal Brahmän. Therefore the ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. predisposition towards Brahmän is causal ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective artists. and not eternal. Similarly, a living entity who meditates on the Supersoul to achieve Donations To continue serving for free we need your help with raising approx- happiness derived from samädhi is following imately Rs 45,000 per month which is utilized to support our team temporary religious principlesdue to his members and other essential requirements. coveting subtle material enjoyment within his mind. Thus the predisposition towards You can donate us with the help of the following link: Paramatma is also not eternal. Only pure https://donations.nbsmag.com/ and pay via Credit card/ Net banking/ Bhägavata Dharma, aimed at simply pleasing Debit Card. 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