Category Archives: Srimad Bhagavatam

Divine Ecstasies

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness, Krishna's childhood pastimes, Srimad Bhagavatam, Uncategorized
Krsna & the cowheard boys taking Prasadam

Today, being Monday, and the start of another workday week, I wanted to focus my mind, not on all the work ahead, but rather, on some Krishna Nectar from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam. We share with you a few of Srila Prabhupada’s divine ecstasies. As we mentioned is a previous post, there are two kṛṣṇa-kathās; narrations spoken by Kṛṣṇa, and narrations spoken about Kṛṣṇa. Please note text 5 & 6 which is spoken by Krsna.

…devotees who have accepted the essence of life, are attached to Kṛṣṇa in the core of their hearts, and He is the aim of their lives. It is their nature to talk only of Kṛṣṇa at every moment, as if such topics were newer and newer.

Like the whorl of a lotus flower surrounded by its petals and leaves, Kṛṣṇa sat in the center, encircled by lines of His friends, who all looked very beautiful. Every one of them was trying to look forward toward Kṛṣṇa, thinking that Kṛṣṇa might look toward him. In this way they all enjoyed their lunch in the forest.

Among the cowherd boys, some placed their lunch on flowers, some on leaves, fruits, or bunches of leaves, some actually in their baskets, some on the bark of trees and some on rocks. This is what the children imagined to be their plates as they ate their lunch.

Srimad Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto 10, Chapter 13, Text 1-12

Translations and purports

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In the Age of Kali

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Kali-yuga, Srimad Bhagavatam
Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga

O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed. (SB 1.1.10)

This morning as I was reading from the Srimad Bhagavam, and Srila Prabhupada was describing the symptoms of this age.

…In Kali-yuga, the duration of life is shortened not so much because of insufficient food but because of irregular habits. By keeping regular habits and eating simple food, any man can maintain his health. Overeating, over-sense gratification, overdependence on another’s mercy, and artificial standards of living sap the very vitality of human energy. Therefore the duration of life is shortened.

The people of this age are also very lazy, not only materially but in the matter of self-realization.

In this age, men are victims not only of different political creeds and parties, but also of many different types of sense-gratificatory diversions, such as cinemas, sports, gambling, clubs, mundane libraries, bad association, smoking, drinking, cheating, pilfering, bickerings, and so on. Their minds are always disturbed and full of anxieties due to so many different engagements… In the Kali-yuga the whole atmosphere is surcharged with faithlessness. Men are no longer interested in spiritual values. Material sense gratification is now the standard of civilization.

Although it is indeed a difficult age to live in, still there is a solution. In this First Chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam;

…The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are anxious to disentangle all fallen souls, and here they are seeking the remedy from Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī.

Full Text and Purport

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The Glories of Maharaja Pariksit

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Maharaja Pariksit, Srimad Bhagavatam

This morning I was reading about Maharaja Pariksit and of his qualities and position in life. He was in a position to enjoy life to the fullest extent,then why should he give up all these favorable circumstances and sit down on the bank of the Ganges, fasting till death? This is astonishing, and therefore all were eager to know the cause. He gave up everything to hear Sriman Bhagavatam from the lips of the pure devotee.

He was a great emperor and possessed all the opulences of his acquired kingdom. He was so exalted that he was increasing the prestige of the Pāṇḍu dynasty. Why did he give up everything to sit down on the bank of the Ganges and fast until death?

…There was nothing undesirable in his life. He was quite a young man and could enjoy life with power and opulence. So there was no question of retiring from active life. There was no difficulty in collecting the state taxes because he was so powerful and chivalrous that even his enemies would come to him and bow down at his feet and surrender all wealth for their own benefit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a pious king. He conquered his enemies, and therefore the kingdom was full of prosperity. There was enough milk, grains and metals, and all the rivers and mountains were full of potency. So materially everything was satisfactory. Therefore, there was no question of untimely giving up his kingdom and life. The sages were eager to hear about all this.

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In the Age of Kali-yuga… There is Still One Good Thing…

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna Consciousness, Mantra Meditation, Srimad Bhagavatam

We all have our favorite quotes and slokas from the pages of Srila Prabhupada’s books. One of mine is the following:

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Bhāg. 12.3.51)

Srila Prabhupada quotes this partictular verse from the Bhagavatam many times in his lectures, conversations, books etc., for instance:

“In the sastra it is said this Kali-yuga is full of faults, so many faults. It is the ocean of faults. But there is a very nice thing, asti hy eko mahan gunah, a very great quality. What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. If you simply chant Hare Krishna mantra, then you become perfect. Is it very difficult? Chant Hare Krishna and you become perfect. But we are so unfortunate, we are not even prepared to chant. This is our position. So you have to make little determination that ‘I shall chant henceforward Hare Krishna mantra.’ Then everything is all right.”

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The Nine Processes of Devotional Service

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Devotional Service, Srimad Bhagavatam
Rama & Hanuman

The Nine Processes of Devotional Service

The Nine Processes of Devotional Service are described by Prahlada Maharaja in the 7th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, chapter 5, text 24-25. The great personalities who attained perfection by practice of the nine processes are listed below, followed by the complete text and purport, describing in full these nine processes. If I am not mistaken, this purport to text 24-25 from the seventh canto, chapter five, is one of the longest in the entire Srimad Bhagavatam. Stressing the importance of the verse.

Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge. (SB 7.5.24-25)

  1. HEARING (sravanam)
    Maharaja Pariksit(the last seven days of his life, he constantly heard the Srimad Bhagavatam).
  2. CHANTING (kirtanam)
    Sukadeva Goswami(spoke the Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit)
  3. REMEMBERING (visnu smaranam)
    Prahlada Maharaja(never forgot Krsna despite constant tortures from his father- Hiranyakashipu)
  4. SERVING THE LORD’S LOTUS FEET (pada sevanam)
    Laxmi, the Goddess of Fortune, is always engaged in serving the lotus feet of the Lord.
  5. DEITY-WORSHIP (arcanam)
    Maharaja Prthu used all of his royal possessions in order to offer them in pure devotion to the Lord.
  6. PRAYING (vandanam)
    Akura offered prayers to Krsna when he was traveling to Vrndavana in order to see Krsna.
  7. EXECUTING ORDERS (dasyam)
    Hanuman, the intimate servant of Ramacandra executed all of Sri Ramacandra’s orders despite all kinds of difficulties.
  8. SERVING AS A FRIEND (sakhyam)
    Arjuna was so close to Krsna, that the Lord offered Himself to become his chariot driver and serve Arjuna and his brothers in various ways.
  9. COMPLETE SURRENDER (atma nivedanam)
    Bali Maharaja gave Sri Vamanadeva his entire kingdom, his possessions as well as his own body, although his own spiritual master was against it.

All these great devotees served the Lord according to a particular process, but every one of them attained salvation and became eligible to return home, back to Godhead

Full Text and purport follows

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Chanting Hare Krishna

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna, Srimad Bhagavatam
visnujhana swami

It seems there is world wide fear over the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.  Older people, such as myself , and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. But I refuse to live in fear, although we have accepted a self imposed quarantine, I have gone about my business working alone in my woodworking shop, and chanting the holy name. Hare Krishna! -V

Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is feared by fear personified. (SB 1.1.14)

… It is stated herein that the name of Kṛṣṇa is feared even by fear personified. This indicates that the name of Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the name of Kṛṣṇa is as powerful as Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. There is no difference at all. Anyone, therefore, can take advantage of the holy names of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa even in the midst of greatest dangers. The transcendental name of Kṛṣṇa, even though uttered unconsciously or by force of circumstances, can help one obtain freedom from the hurdle of birth and death. (from purport)

Full text and purport

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Remembering Krishna

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna, Krishna Consciousness, Srimad Bhagavatam
radharani_with_gopis_purva__original 1

click on image to enlarge

This morning as I was reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam, my mind was drawn to the following verse:

The devotees of the Lord are accustomed to licking up the honey available from the lotus feet of the Lord. What is the use of topics which simply waste one’s valuable life? (SB 1.16.6)

Our duration of life is not very long, and there is no certainty of when we shall be ordered to leave everything for the next stage. Thus it is our duty to see that not a moment of our life is wasted in topics which are not related with Lord Kṛṣṇa. Any topic, however pleasant, is not worth hearing if it is devoid of its relation to Kṛṣṇa. (from purport)

Which lead me to remember another very beautiful verse from an earlier chapter entitled “The Passing Away of Bhīṣmadeva in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa”

Let my mind be fixed upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose motions and smiles of love attracted the damsels of Vrajadhāma [the gopīs]. The damsels imitated the characteristic movements of the Lord [after His disappearance from the rāsa dance].

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The Brahmastra Weapon

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam
nuclear weapon

This morning I was reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam, First Canto, Chapter 7, entitled “The Son of Drona Punished”. This chapter has always intrigued me, because although the Srimad Bhagavatam was compiled by Srila Vyasedeva five thousand years ago, there is mention of the ultimate weapon, the brahmāstra [nuclear weapon] being used. We think that Atomic energy or Nuclear energy is some modern technological advancement, but actually this knowledge has been around since the time that Srimad Bhagavatam was first spoken, many thousands of years ago.

…The brahmāstra is similar to the modern nuclear weapon manipulated by atomic energy. The atomic energy works wholly on total combustibility, and so the brahmāstra also acts. It creates an intolerable heat similar to atomic radiation, but the difference is that the atomic bomb is a gross type of nuclear weapon, whereas the brahmāstra is a subtle type of weapon produced by chanting hymns. It is a different science, and in the days gone by such science was cultivated in the land of Bhārata-varṣa. The subtle science of chanting hymns is also material, but it has yet to be known by the modern material scientists. Subtle material science is not spiritual, but it has a direct relationship with the spiritual method, which is still subtler. A chanter of hymns knew how to apply the weapon as well as how to retract it. That was perfect knowledge. (from purport to SB 1.7.28)

…The theory that the modern atomic bomb explosions can annihilate the world is childish imagination. First of all, the atomic energy is not powerful enough to destroy the world. And secondly, ultimately it all rests on the supreme will of the Supreme Lord because without His will or sanction nothing can be built up or destroyed. It is foolish also to think that natural laws are ultimately powerful. Material nature’s law works under the direction of the Lord, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord says there that natural laws work under His supervision. The world can be destroyed only by the will of the Lord and not by the whims of tiny politicians. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa desired that the weapons released by both Drauṇi and Arjuna be withdrawn, and it was carried out by Arjuna at once. Similarly, there are many agents of the all-powerful Lord, and by His will only can one execute what He desires. (from purport to 1.7.32)

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Srimad Bhagavatam Set [Original 30 Volume]

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Book Changes, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam

Srimad Bhagavatam Set [Original 30 Volume]

I received this email this morning from Yasodanandana Prabhu:

Dear Prabhus
Please accept my obeisances.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

There are original, unrevised, first edition, unadulterated, bona fide sets of Srimad-Bhagavatam available. This has been confirmed and duly reconfirmed by devotees in England, Australia and America. I humbly suggest that you should take advantage of this opportunity while they are still available.

With regards,

Yours in Srila Prabhupada’s service and in the service of His bona fide disciples.

Yasoda nandana dasa

It is available through Krishnastore.com
Srimad Bhagavatam Set [Original 30 Volume]

“This Srimad Bhagavatam is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Srimad Bhagavatam.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.43)

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Srimad Bhagavatam Court Case Settled

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Book Changes, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Jitarati das, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam

I would like to offer my humble obeisances to Jitarati Prabhu, and all the devotees involved in printing and distributing this beautiful set of Srimad Bhagavatam’s. I am gladdened by the news that the court case was finally settled, and all parties involved, have agreed to work together for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada! -Vyasasan das

BBT Court Case Against Jitarati’s Bhagavatam-Set, Finally Settled
by Jitarrati das

www.iskcon-truth.com/bhagavatam-set/bbt-court-case-settled.html

BBT India and Jitarati Das court case amicably settled in Bombay High Court!

Justice Kathawala before whom the matter of printing the Srimad Bhagavatam 10 volumes by Jitarati Das came up on 16th May 2018, requested the parties to try to mediate and settle the matter out of court and come back to him.

BBT India represented by HH Gopal Krishna Goswami, HG Bhima Das and Ananda Tirtha Dasa mediated with Jitarati Das and has settled the matter. Both parties have resolved their differences and have agreed to work together for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.

BBT India will print and make available the Srimad Bhagavatam in 10 volumes format (Nine Cantos and Krishna Book) WITHOUT 11th and 12th Canto. Jitarati Das has agreed to distribute the present printed sets outside of India by developing a new market outside of ISKCON circles.

This court settlement was recorded by the Justice and the suit is closed.

Jitarati Das

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