Bhakti is not Business

Bhakti
is
not
Business

In his teaching, Sri Prahlad Maharaj says in the holy texts of Srimad Bhagavatam :7:10:4

nānyathā te ’khila-guro

ghaṭeta karuṇātmanaḥyas 

ta āśiṣa āśāste 

na sa bhṛtyaḥ sa vai vaṇik

Translation:

Otherwise, O my Lord, O supreme instructor of the entire world, You are so kind to Your devotee that You could not induce him to do something unbeneficial for him. On the other hand, one who desires some material benefit in exchange for devotional service cannot be Your pure devotee. Indeed, he is no better than a merchant who wants profit in exchange for service.

Devotees of the lord are very much aware that nothing happens without the sanctioning of the supreme lord and they are also aware that whatever phase of life they are undergoing is also the mercy of the lord, whether it's good or bad,Therefore never demand anything from God as a reward for their  Bhakti.

They are very much confident about lord's protection, and they take every circumstances as an facility and opportunity to further advance in devotional consciousness.

The best example of such surrender and attitude are, Pandavas.

In the assembly of the kurus they lost almost everything.They have to go to exile for next 13 years.

Apparently looked like they are undergoing lot of suffering, but later all these turned to be blessing for them.

 It was that this time that arjuna was able to collect all arms and weapons necessary for the kurukshetra war, bhima was able to beget his son ghatotkacha , who helped them in war, yudhishthira was able to make alliances with many kings , Bhima was able to meet great devotee of lord rama, the Hanuman who had then promised to help him in the war , etc etc....

                                                                                                 These are few INCIDENTS that happened and helped pandavas when they were in the exile,to gain victory over evil kauravas.

One thing one must remember that devotion to lord sri krishna is not a business like with any other devatas.

Devotees fully surrender themselves unto the lotus feet of lord and gives full freedom to lord to choose what is good for them.

If lord want them to remain beggar and suffer, they are very happy ,if they can remain His devotee and continue their devotion unto Him.

This devotional attitude enables them to accept and face any condition, situation or circumstances very boldly and devotionally.

Thank you for reading.

Do visit my BLOG:

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Disclaimer: The Author makes an attempts to answer the questions based on ancient Vedic texts. He do not have any personal intention of criticizing, blaming, insulting, any individual,organization,sects.,cult,religion,cast,creed,or nation etc.

Am i body or soul?

Am

i

body

or

soul ?

Truly speaking you are the soul embodied in the body.

The difference between dead body and living body is the presence or absence of the soul.

living body means the soul is present and dead body means the soul has left the body.

Consciousness is the proof of souls existence.

According to our desire we keep getting and changing bodies by the wonderful arrangement of the mother nature, who works under the Supervision and direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead lord sri krishna, as it is confirmed in the holy texts of Bhagavad Gita.

If it is asked "who are you?"

what will be your response?

as usual, " i am man, i am human being , i am indian, etc etc."

But if carefully observed and noted, all theses answers are just designations "of or on"  the body.

Nobody is able to say, who is that "I" ?

Because of our misidentification with body we mistakenly say i am body, which is actually not a fact.

Let me give you a crude example for better understanding:

Say a theater artist plays the role of a thief.

He by hearts the entire script, learns how to walk as , talk as , and dress himself as a thief.

Because of his intense absorption and prolong association with thief character , how will it sound if he starts thinking himself a real thief ?, which in fact he is not.

This is called mis-identification with something else which you are not.

Our situation is exactly like that ,we as a soul are sitting inside the body ,

But misidentifying ourselves to be bodies, because of our long long association with different kinds of bodies from time immemorial.

A driver sitting inside any vehicle is separate identity other than vehicle.

No sane driver will ever say ,if asked ,"who are you?",

That,  "i am FORD  car , i am MARUTI car, or Rolls Royce car etc etc.

Because he is aware of his identity.

Similarly we must also become aware about our identities as a separate entity other than the body and this is known as "self realization".

It is because of our ignorance we are thinking ourselves to be bodies, therefore knowledge will help us to come out the dense darkness of ignorance.

The more you become realized of the knowledge you will see yourself separate from the body.

To feel and realize the presence of soul one must undergo the disciplined way of, "life and living ",as suggested by the vedic literatures and acharya's, then gradually one becomes "self realized".

Lord sri krishna has beautifully analysed the soul in His teachings of Bhagavad Gita:2.13

dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

Translation:

As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.

Bhagavad gita:2.22

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro ’parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

Translation:

As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

These are the few verse which give clear, logical and scientific understanding of the soul's existence.

Thank you for reading.

Do visit my BLOG:

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Disclaimer: The Author makes an attempts to answer the questions based on ancient Vedic texts. He do not have any personal intention of criticizing, blaming, insulting, any individual,organization,sects.,cult,religion,cast,creed,or nation etc.

What is death?

Death is a

facility 

and 

opportunity 

to have the most beautiful life.

In general terms death is horrible.

No One wants to die, how much everyone is suffering, still they want to live.

Even animals also do not want to die.

Question is ,why this feeling of living long or eternal is there in all living entities?

Life is full of struggle and dissatisfaction and filled with various miseries , still why we want to live?

The reason is the "eternity aspect of the SOUL".

Lord sri Krishna explains in the holy texts of srimad bhagavad gita 15:7,

mamaiväàço jéva-loke

jéva-bhütaù sanätanaù

manaù-ñañöhänéndriyäëi

prakåti-sthäni karñati

Translation:

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

All the living entities from all species of life, from all over the cosmos are "part and parcel" of the Supreme lord sri Krishna.

Therefore being His part we also possess all the godly qualities, as a drop of ocean being a part and parcel of ocean, consists all the qualities of ocean.

But quantitatively drop is very very insignificant compared to ocean,similarly we are also very very insignificant compare to God.

We cannot be God,but godly.

Since God being Supreme spirit is eternal in nature , so are we too.

Therefore the tendency to live eternal exist in all living entities.

But as it is explained by Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, in the above verse(sloka), that due to our conditioned life, we are embodied in the material body of matter ,which undergoes changes.

Therefore death means, giving up the current existential conditional state of body and accepting another existential conditioned state of  body, according to one's consciousness at the time of death.

In the holy texts of Srimad Bhagavad Gita 8:5, Lord Sri Krishna say:

anta-käle ca mäm eva

smaran muktvä kalevaram

yaù prayäti sa mad-bhävaà

yäti nästy atra saàçayaù

Translation:

And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

Therefore death is a facility for us either to continue or end our conditioned state of existence.

To end our conditioned life Lord Sri Krishna has given formula in the above quoted verse,

He say that whoever thinks of HIM(only) at the time of death will attain His nature, which full of eternity,knowledge and bliss.

We have decide what we want eternal life of happiness or conditioned life of distress?

Most beautiful life of eternity, knowledge and bliss is awaiting us after death if we decide to become Krishna Conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you for reading.

Do visit my BLOG:

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Disclaimer: The Author makes an attempts to answer the questions based on ancient Vedic texts. He do not have any personal intention of criticizing, blaming, insulting, any individual,organization,sects.,cult,religion,cast,creed,or nation etc.

what makes you believe in God?

What's make you

believe

 in 

God?

As far as i am concerned it is the culture of my country "INDIA", which has educated me from the beginning of my life about God.

Existence of God was never a doubt for me.

But as i grew i too had many questions in life which were not authoritatively and scientifically answered, like:

1. why do people cheat and lie.
2. why i am separated from God
3. why bad things are happening in my life
4. why do we all suffer
5. how can i meet God,

and many such unanswered questions.

From my side i tried to seek the answers for all those questions, but was never satisfied.

Later when i came in touch with teachings of ,HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, his presentation of God was very authoritative and scientific.

He quotes various vedic scriptures and presents God beyond belief, as a core reality.

It is explained in the holy texts of Srimad Bhagavad Gita 16:23,by Krishna Himself:

yaù çästra-vidhim utsåjya

vartate käma-kärataù

na sa siddhim aväpnoti

na sukhaà na paräà gatim

Translation:

But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.

Therefore we must have faith and follow the vedic texts and on its authority accept the God's existence as a reality, beyond belief.

When we look around us, such a beautiful nature, then it's natural to think  about its creator.

Is there anything that exists without its cause?

Have you seen any beautiful painting, suddenly or accidentally, appearing on it's own, without a painter?

Actually to accept God's existence  is common sense and to deny is nonsense.

As you start accepting and following God Authoritatively then you will see His reciprocation in every moment of your life.

We must have faith in the scriptural injunctions and preceptors like Jesus , Muhammad , Ramanujacharya ,Madhvacharya , Caitanya Mahaprabhu , Srila Prahupada etc etc.

Follow their teachings sincerely , then God as a reality with manifest in front of you.

Hope this answers your question.

Thank you for reading.

Do visit my BLOG:

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Disclaimer: The Author makes an attempts to answer the questions based on ancient Vedic texts. He do not have any personal intention of criticizing, blaming, insulting, any individual,organization,sects.,cult,religion,cast,creed,or nation etc.

can you define God?

Can

You

Define 

God?

If you want to know God , Know from Him.

None of us are either eligible or capable of defining God.

What can we define about God who is unlimited and beyond our material sense perception.

And

How can we define God with following four human defects.

1.Our senses are imperfect

2.we are illusioned

3.We have a cheating tendency

4.And we are prone to commit mistakes

Therefore It is said in the ancient vedic texts that,

" Näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyo na medhayä"

If one is very good speaker, it does not mean that he can speak about God and describe Him.

If one is very meritorious, great scientist, philosopher, also does not mean that he can understand Bhagavän

If one is very highly educated, highly learned in Vedic knowledge, still he also cannot understand God.

Srila Prabhupada, the founder acharya of ISKCON once said:

"If we are actually serious to understand Bhagavän, then we have to take the instruction given by Bhagavän Himself. We cannot manufacture ideas to know Bhagavän. That is not possible. You cannot speculate on Bhagavän.".

God is not any material concept ,commodity, element  or phenomenon that can be explained and described by us with all 4 human defects.

Therefore please don't take anyones advice or suggestion or description or anything on God Or  about God.

The only process to know God is ,to know Him from Himself, as He has described in the various vedic literatures and especially in the Holy texts of Bhagavad Gita.

As far as the definition of God is concerned it is explained in the vishnu purana:

aiçvaryasya samagrasya

véryasya yaçasaù çriyaù

jïäna-vairägyayoç caiva

ñaëëäà bhaga itéìganä

Bhagavan or God means one who posses following 6 opulence unlimitedly.

1.all opulences or riches

2.all power

3.all fame

4.all beauty

5.all knowledge

6.all renunciation.

This  is the definition of God according vishnu purana.One who is unlimitedly possessing all the above listed opulences,he is God.

All the vedic literatures are known as apauresha, which means ,they are not given or written by any ordinary human beings with 4 defects.

They are given by the God Himself.

Thank you for reading.

Do visit my BLOG:

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Disclaimer: The Author makes an attempts to answer the questions based on ancient Vedic texts. He do not have any personal intention of criticizing, blaming, insulting, any individual,organization,sects.,cult,religion,cast,creed,or nation etc.

Can we cheat God ?

NO. You cannot cheat God.

Because , in the holy texts of Bhagavad Gita 13:23, Lord Sri Krishna Says:

upadrañöänumantä ca                                

bhartä bhoktä maheçvaraù

paramätmeti cäpy ukto

dehe 'smin puruñaù paraù

Translation:

Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.

Which means that the Lord as a supersoul(paramatma) is seated in the hearts of every living entity.

And by doing so He has two functions:

1.He observes and oversees,all our actions. and                 

2.He is the permitter.

Therefore at any point of our existence we cannot cheat or hide anything from the God.He knows every single minute details about us and our actions.

And therefore accordingly, based on law of karma through the agency of material nature he rewards or punishes us.

That is called law of karma.

Therefore there is no injustice in our lives.

For example a thief can be successful in stealing at the dead dark night , and fooling or cheating the ordinary police.But he cannot hide himself,  from or cheat the lord,who is sitting in His heart as "supersoul or paramatma",he will be definitely caught by the laws of nature and punished for his actions accordingly.

Therefore we cannot be irresponsible and ignorant in executing any of our actions and think, like the cat who drinks milk by closing her eyes and thinks on her own that nobody is watching her.

We can only cheat ourselves by neglecting God.

Thank you for reading.

Do visit my BLOG:

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Disclaimer: The Author makes an attempts to answer the questions based on ancient Vedic texts. He do not have any personal intention of criticizing, blaming, insulting, any individual,organization,sects.,cult,religion,cast,creed,or nation etc.

Excellence through Bhagavad Gita

  Does Bhagavad Gita teaches,
 "How to achieve excellence in work?"

                          YES!

Take the example of Arjuna:

He was well Excelled ,highly qualified ,greatly  powerful and very successful warrior.

Still on the battlefield of kurukshetra just before the war he lost all his composure, forgot excellency, power and lost confidence, and it is explained in the holy book Bhagavad Gita 1:46

saïjaya uväca                                                             

evam uktvärjunaù saìkhye

rathopastha upäviçat

visåjya sa-çaraà cäpaà

çoka-saàvigna-mänasaù

Translation:

Saïjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.

Such a great and powerful warrior gave up, sat down and decided not to fight.

Similarly in our lives also we may many times come across many situations, and circumstances where we do not know what to do? and what not to do? or we may even give up.

Now the question is ," how to come out of such conditions of our lives and excel"?

How arjuna regained his confidence and strength?

It is described in the Holy book of Bhagavad Gita:2:7

 Arjuna spoke to Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.                  

kärpaëya-doñopahata-svabhävaù

påcchämi tväà dharma-sammüòha-cetäù

yac chreyaù syän niçcitaà brühi tan me

çiñyas te 'haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam

Translation:

Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.

So Arjuna surrendered to Lord Krishna as a disciple and prepared himself to receive the transcendental knowledge from Him.

This is the first qualification that one must have "surrender to Krishna".

Then Lord Sri Krishna took charge of His devotee and disciple arjuna and gave him transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad Gita.

And after completely hearing Bhagavad Gita Arjuna finally decided:

Bhagavad Gita 18:73

arjuna uväca

nañöo mohaù småtir labdhä

tvat-prasädän mayäcyuta

sthito 'smi gata-sandehaù

kariñye vacanaà tava

Translation:

Arjuna said: My dear Kåñëa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.

To act according to the direction and knowledge given by lord sri Krishna and ultimately with great efficiency he was able to fight the battle and could defeat all great opponent warriors  like Bhishma , drona , karna, etc etc.

So this is the formula for achieving excellency in our work.

surrender unto lord sri krishna, learn Bhagavad Gita from Him , and always keep Him with you in your heart,  then you will see that ,by the Grace of Lord 

you will overcome all the obstacles , perform very effectively and excel with all successes  in all the sphere's of your life.

Now the question is "where is lord KRISHNA?"

Arjuna was fortunate to have Him with him,but what about us?

Therefore lord sri krishna has mercifully agreed to be with us 24 hr a day,simply if we chant His holy names :

hare krishna hare krishna

krishna krishna hare hare

hare rama hare rama

rama rama hare hare

Just by chanting above mantra,which is non different from absolute and transcendental personality of lord sri krishna himself, we can keep Him all along with us and fight the battles and merge out victorious from any sphere of our lives .

Therefore please chant this mantra everyday at least 108 times and try to read Bhagavad Gita to receive knowledge from lord sri Krishna, then all our works will be performed efficiently and such excellence in life will bring all success and happiness in life.

Of course we can also depend on our modern skills and talents to perform efficiently and excel, but they are not complete or sufficient to strengthen our soul permanently, maybe we can get some temporary benefit by using and utilizing them , but if we follow in the footsteps of Arjuna then our soul will be permanently strong and stout .

This is the difference between "quick fixes" and "permanent solutions".

Thank you for reading.

Do visit my BLOG:

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Bhagavad Gita For Me

Disclaimer: The Author makes an attempts to answer the questions based on ancient Vedic texts. He do not have any personal intention of criticizing, blaming, insulting, any individual,organization,sects.,cult,religion,cast,creed,or nation etc.